Thank you for bringing this course to Aroostook County.  I found the information concerning the details of the Common Core to be most helpful and extremely edifying.  The wide variety of materials distributed both in hard copy and electronic forms will be so very helpful in the future.  Your willingness to answer our questions and the openness in your professional response was so refreshing.  I was most impressed with the depth and breadth of your knowledge.  The material on creating our own class website and the tremendous amount of materials made available for our use is so very useful and is most appreciated.  I recommend this course as a must for any regular education classroom teacher, special education teacher, and especially to all administrators.       ~Yours sincerely and very respectfully

~Kenneth W. Atcheson II, Instructor of Social Studies, Caribou High School, Caribou, Maine

I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know I am using one of the rubrics I developed in class this summer.  It is making a big difference in the quality of work I am getting from my students.  I am so happy I took your class this summer!

~ Lena Tingley, Visual Art Educator, Teague Park School, Caribou, Maine


I was very interested in learning more about the common core and how it would affect students, teachers and curriculum. Stephen York came highly recommended by my colleagues. I must say I was not disappointed. I have walked away with not only a wealth of information but a renewed sense of accomplishment. The course allowed us to question the new standards while giving us time to actually work to align a classroom unit. What a valuable use of time! I feel much more prepared to tackle whatever road we take in aligning to the CCSS. I look forward to other courses given by Stephen in the future.

~Mary Graham, 4th Grade Teacher – Zippel Elementary School, Presque Isle, Maine, 2012


Common Core is coming, and as a conscientious and committed educator I want to be prepared.  So earlier this year I e-mailed the institute to inquire about the possibility of a course on Common Core being brought to Northern Maine this summer.  I heard back promptly from Stephen and Catherine, who were able to accommodate that need. Our course, Integrating Common Core Standards Into the Classroom K-12, provided a wealth of experiences, a springboard for our teacher group into the curriculum and assessment work ahead of  us.  Collaboration and critical thinking, honest conversation including expressions of anxiety at times, and plentiful sharing of information and resources marked highlights of the course for me. Dr. Jennifer Page assisted us greatly with her knowledge of technology while Dr. Stephen York challenged us as to where we are in education, where we have been in the past, and where we are heading in the future. While I am just starting down the road of Common Core State Standards I have been given a tremendous start through their knowledge and support. My thanks to New England Institute for a practical and useful course!

~Judy Atcheson, 3rd Grade Teacher, Mapleton Elementary, Mapleton, Maine, 2012


Integrating the Common Core Standards in the K-12 Classroom was the best class I have ever taken!  What I liked most was the practical approach. Being able to use our own teaching units to align the standards was most helpful.  I can walk into my classroom this fall with a teaching unit that is fully aligned to the Common Core Standards.  Collaboration with other class participants was key as well!

~Loriann Bates, 4th Grade Teacher, Zippel Elementary School – Presque Isle, 2012


As we have heard the Common Core will be the next change that we must face as educators in Maine. I took this class because I wanted to know more about these “changes” before they actually become law. I count it a privilege to have been able to participate in the class this week. It was, first of all, “anxiety-free,” informative, thought provoking, and above all practical. The time was well spent and a sense of accomplishment was felt at the end of each day. The instructors, Dr. Stephen York & Dr. Jennifer Page, had a daunting task before them, but were able to dissect a tough topic with precision and grace. It was truly the most enjoyable class I have ever taken. I would take another class from them without hesitation!

~Jay Blackstone, 3rd Grade Teacher, Mapleton, 2012


As an adult learner with anxieties, I had many reservations about returning to school. My professor, Stephen York, made the transition bearable. He made us feel at ease. He let us know that he was there for us in and out of the classroom. I have taken several classes from him and have gained a wealth of knowledge about education and the laws of education.

~Carrie Anderson, Educational Technician – Augusta, 2011


I found it particularly comforting to learn that Catherine’s educational background not only included classroom teaching in the arts, but also her experience as a school principal. The combination of these two perspectives gave a highly realistic approach to her instruction, not only in terms of what works for teachers and students, but what could work well with administrators as well.

~Charles Condello, Music Educator – Fryeburg, 2011