WINTHROP -- He's conducted about 50 interviews and started to write at least as many chapters.

But Donald Beattie has much work remaining on his latest undertaking. Since December 2006, the former teacher, professor and University of Maine at Augusta president has tackled a written work honoring teachers and administrators of Maine's schools, past and present. A few students and government officials are even among the mix of those profiled.

The book's working title is "Celebrating Extraordinary Maine Educators: Leaders Continue to Learn and Teach." According to Beattie, many of the chapters he's written and researched could stand alone as books of their own, and he might even publish them as their own volumes.

Still, each page Beattie taps out on his computer in his Winthrop home is an integral part of the Mars Hill native's effort to chronicle the stories of those he considers to be key figures in Maine education.

"The purpose is to get all the information in some form or other in the hands of libraries, school people, young people," Beattie said.

In fact, while Beattie has completed several book-length works, he has not published them all in book form. His first volume of a three-part history of Togus remains saved on a disc. He is also keeping a working history of Essex County, Mass., in disc form.

At the moment, the 50-plus chapters of "Celebrating Extraordinary Maine Educators" occupy space on as many floppy discs held in cases on Beattie's book shelves and desks.

"That's how far I am, but I'm just tapping the surface," he said. "There's no way this can be one book."

Beattie said that observing Halina Nawrot, now the principal of Brooklin School, teach a first-grade class spurred the idea for the book.

"She's a phenomenally exciting, interesting and still matter-of-fact kind of teacher," he said. "She loves students and they love her, but she's not gushy."

Beattie, 72, earned a doctorate in history from Boston University in 1966 and served as UMA's president from 1977 to 1980. After resigning, he became president of Broome Community College in Binghamton, N.Y., for the next seven years.

When he returned to Maine, Beattie took a job as dean of Sabattus' Franklin Academy. He later opened his own learning center and, after that, founded a private school -- Wilordon Academy -- at his Winthrop home.

When not at work on his books about Maine educators, Togus history and the annals of Essex County, Beattie spends much of his time woodworking and teaching adult education classes.

"I don't want to just sit around and write," he said. "That's not in my nature."

And in putting together "Celebrating Extraordinary Maine Educators," Beattie has not simply sat at home to write. His research has taken him to schools across Maine.

The chapters Beattie has written focus on veteran teachers and administrators in Manchester, innovative instructors in Farmington, other classroom leaders in Mars Hill, Waterville, Winslow and other communities.

"We've got wonderful teachers and leaders in this state," Beattie said.

Extraordinary teachers, according to Beattie, do not simply convey information to students. They teach their students how to continue learning throughout their lives.

"The theme of this book is to find people who motivate their children who yearn to learn," Beattie said.

Beattie said his work will also chronicle the history of what he calls "the first consolidation" of the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the current School Administrative District structure emerged.

One or more chapters will also catalog Maine's current school-district consolidation effort, which legislators mandated in a law passed last year.

While he supports today's effort, Beattie said, the initiative is too rushed. "The first consolidation" happened over a six-year period, he said.

"Here, we're doing everything in a year," Beattie said. "I'm supportive of consolidation. I just wish the wheels had been greased a little more."