Department of Education
Commissioner Makin, in collaboration with educators, schools, districts and communities Statewide, leads state efforts to provide all Maine students access to educational experiences, PreK through adult, that lead to their success in life and career. Across her more than 20-year career, Makin has devoted herself to the mission of public education. From 1997 to 2003, she served as a classroom teacher at Fred C. Wescott Junior High School in Westbrook. She went on to become principal at The REAL (Regional Education Alternative Learning) School on Mackworth Island in Falmouth, a position she held for more than a decade from 2003 to 2015. As principal at The REAL School – an alternative and service-based high school for students who have struggled in traditional school settings – Makin and her team supported high risk students from 28 sending school districts through innovative academic and experiential programming. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Makin served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brunswick School Department.
Phone: (207) 624-6600