Maine may have to “take a stand” and tell the U.S. Department of Education that unless it provides sufficient funds, the state won’t comply with some parts of the new federal education reform law, Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron said Monday.

The federal government isn’t funding No Child Left Behind at the amount it originally committed to, the commissioner told Brewer teachers and other school employees during an in-service day at the city’s middle school.

So the state plans to ask school systems this year to document whether they receive sufficient federal dollars under No Child Left Behind to provide students with reading and math support, help teachers become qualified and put technology and other innovations into place, the commissioner said.

If not, there is a caveat in No Child Left Behind that says the state doesn’t have to comply with the law, she said.

Gendron also welcomed back teachers and other school employees in Hampden area’s SAD 22.

“I want to stay connected to you,” said Gendron, a former teacher, principal and superintendent.

No Child Left Behind requires pupils in grades three through eight to be tested annually in math and reading by 2005-06 and in science by 2007-08. Students are supposed to be tested once in grades 10-12.

Schools that don’t make “adequate yearly progress” will be identified and be subject to a series of escalating consequences including having to offer parents the choice of transferring their children to other schools within the district and providing students with tutoring and other services.

Maine, like most states, is expected to identify a large number of schools that aren’t making sufficient progress based on their performance on standardized tests, Gendron said.

“But with that comes the expectation that the federal government will provide resources to help each system,” she said.

The commissioner said she has told the attorney general that Maine has enough resources to help schools this year, but based on the large number of schools expected to be identified in the future, next year could be a different story “unless Washington meets its original intent.”

So far, there have been about 40 schools in Maine that have been identified as low-performing.

In May, the federal government rejected a request by Maine lawmakers to either exempt the state from No Child Left Behind or fully fund the cost of complying with it.

Maine has told the U.S. Department of Education that the punishments included in the new federal education reform law are “not what we’re about,” Gendron said.

Under No Child Left Behind, the state could take over schools that don’t make progress for five or more years.

However, Maine law wouldn’t allow such a scenario.

The state doesn’t believe in punishing schools, but in working with them to “develop a continuous improvement plan” that will bring test scores up by providing additional resources or professional development, Gendron said.

The state “has been vocal in its opposition to No Child Left Behind,” Gendron said, and the federal government “continues to reach out asking us what are the issues.”

The congressional delegation also is working to “introduce changes to recognize that Maine … has a much better sense about what works,” she said.

Noting that Maine ranks high in the number of students who graduate from high school, but doesn’t do as well in the number who go on to post-secondary education, Gendron told teachers that providing rigorous, college-level curriculum for all high school students is essential.

A national study shows that when “lower-track” students are placed in college preparation classes, they do better than if they were left where they were, she said.

She urged teachers to develop personalized learning plans for their students so they feel connected to school and know adults care about their learning and about them as individuals.

Students do best in schools with fewer than 900 students, Gendron said. Larger facilities should divide students into groups so they have a school within a school, she said.

Teachers need help too, said Gendron, who noted that professional development for teachers is a priority.

To inform the public about the changes taking place in schools, the state plans to ask businesses if education officials can come in during the workday to talk with parents and others, she said.