November Learning: Expanding the Boundaries of Learning

Bette Manchester

About Bette Manchester
Executive Director of the Maine International Center for Digital Education, Augusta, ME

Bette Manchester is executive director of the Maine International Center for Digital Learning (MICDL), a nonprofit center that supports the equity and access of one-to-one computing as it supports 21st century learning. Prior to joining MICDL, Bette was the Director of Special Projects at the Maine Department of Education. For seven years, she led the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, the one-to-one laptop project for all Maine students in grades 7-8 and 31 high schools and all educators for grades 7-12. Her responsibility for strategic design and implementation of the MLTI included oversight and strategic planning for all educational technology programs within the Department of Education. Bette was a building principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels and director of special education.

Her work as an educator has been noted by the Milken Educaton Award (1991), National Distinguished Principal of the Year, Principal-National School of Excellence, Maine State Librarians Award, Dr. Inabeth Miller Education Technology Award and the Friday Award for Innovation in Education.

Main Session Workshop

Leadership and Managing Change in the Transformation of Schools: 7 Years of Experience, Data and Results in Maine in Providing Equity and Access for Students and Staff through the Effective Use of One-to-one Laptops

This session will provide a quick overview of Maine’s statewide efforts with emphasis on promising practices and recent data in literacy and numeracy. Participants will learn about essential leadership and cultural elements that support implementation and sustaining whole school change at the middle and high school levels.