We frequently talk about what's happening in Maine right now. We focus on cyclical changes and get caught up in recent events. Former State Economist and current President of the Maine Development Foundation, Laurie Lachance, who has been analyzing and forecasting Maine's economic performance for 25 years, focuses on structural changes and the challenges that these changes are creating for Maine's school systems. She discusses 6 Major Trends Influencing K-12 Education;

• that are driving much of what you are experiencing;

• that have, ultimately, made the job you are doing today more important than ever before;

• and that are forcing us to fundamentally rethink the way we deliver K-12 educational services.

Presented to the Maine Department of Education on October 29, 2008.