Fern Desjardins

Dr. Fern Desjardins was appointed to the Maine State Board of Education in 2018 and is in her second 5-year term on the board. She serves as chair of the School Construction Committee and a member of the Legislative Action Committee. She served four years (2021-2025) as chair of the board and has served on many of the board’s committees and ad hoc committees during her membership.

Desjardins was elected to the NASBE Board of Directors in 2019 as new member representative for two years, continued serving for four years as secretary-treasurer, chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, and was voted chair-elect in October 2025. She was on the Public Education Positions Committee for two years (chairperson in 2021), Government Affairs Committee (2021-2022), and Awards Committee (2020-2021).

Prior to her service at the state and national levels, Desjardins had a 43-year career in PK-12 education as an elementary school teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools in a small, rural school system. She taught graduate-level classes for the University of Maine as an adjunct faculty member in its outreach programs for nine years, served on UMFK’s Board of Visitors (one year as President; two as Vice President), and Northern Maine Medical Center’s Board of Trustees. After her retirement, she worked as a regionalization facilitator for the Maine DOE providing technical assistance and guidance to school systems in planning and developing regionalization projects.

Desjardins is a life-long learner who holds a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and a Master’s Degree in Language Arts from UMaine, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Leadership from USM, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from UMFK. She volunteers at her local church, parish, and at the diocese level. Desjardins and her husband, Francis, have three grown children and four grandchildren.

 

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