AUGUSTA, Maine — A longtime Bangor lawyer will lead the state’s top education advisory group, the Maine Department of Education announced Thursday.
Martha Harris of Winterport will serve as chairwoman of the Maine State Board of Education. Alan R. Burton will be vice-chairman. The board serves in an advisory role under the commissioner of the Department of Education, weighing in on issues related to education law and policy on a statewide basis.
Harris has served on the board for five years, an appointee of Gov. John Baldacci. Burton has been on the board for one year, appointed by Gov. Paul LePage.
The new chairwoman has been practicing law in Bangor since 1977. On the side, she has been active in education leadership groups for years. She served on the leadership study group at the National Association of State Boards of Education, as well as on the National Association of State Boards of Education’s student engagement study group.
She also represented the state board on the group that authorized the Legislature to issue a contract for a 2013 evaluation of the Essential Programs and Services Act.
In 2013, she received the 2 Those Who Care Award in recognition of her volunteer work in the realm of education.
Harris has a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University, a master’s in social work from Rutgers University and a juris doctor degree from Northeastern University.
Burton is a Winslow resident and vice president at Cianbro, where he’s worked for 38 years. He leads the board’s Career and Technical Education Committee and serves as its liaison to the Legislature.
In addition to its advisory role, the Board of Education also approves state funds for school construction projects, establishes teacher certification standards, and recommends higher education institutions for authority to grant degrees.
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