Those who know me know the depth and breadth of my commitment to public schools. The economic health of many Maine communities - and the quality of life of countless individual students and their families - depends on the degree to which our public educational system works. And while we can agree that right now it works well for some kids, we should be able to admit that it's not working for many others.
Like Dick Barnes, whose well reasoned letter I'm forwarding, I've been advising Eliot Cutler's education policy. As some of you know, I've also been writing extensively about the kinds of policies that will help Maine regain the mantle of innovation and leadership we had under former Governor Angus King and Commissioner Duke Albanese.
The policies Eliot proposes are not political - they are based on best practices and adapted for Maine's particular assets and challenges. Unfortunately, the positions of the two major party candidates simply do not address what is working (a great deal) and is not working (also a great deal) in Maine. Instead, these positions reflect the interests of those who seek to get their candidates elected by distorting and confusing voters.
Former Governor King, in his endoresement of Eliot yesterday, wrote:
"The partisanship that has taken hold of our political system has put us in deadlock, and now more than ever, we need to coalesce around common goals and shared purpose.
While Eliot Cutler has been the focus of an unprecedented campaign of negativity and slander, he has not responded in kind. Instead he has focused on solutions to the pressing issues facing Maine. This speaks volumes about Eliot's character and the kind of Governor he will be."
One of the solutions Governor King refers to is Eliot's "no excuses" education policy. Yes, the PUBLIC charter schools Eliot supports will require some of the money currently going to public schools to be spent differently. To say that it will "take money from public schools," though, is the kind of sound -bite distortion that has made so many of us so sick of politics. The real challenge is make the money we ARE spending produce the results we seek - and to give EVERY child in Maine a fair chance in the bargain. Our money is not doing that now.
As the Expeditionary Learning Schools "school designer" who led the Casco Bay High School project in Portland, I spent a year countering arguments from both the right (it will cost more) and the left (it will take money from existing schools). Over time, the argument we started with - better results for the same money - won the day.
And it's a good thing, too. If you talk to the parents whose children have been "saved" by Casco Bay High School, you'd want such a choice - fully public, open to any student in your community - for your child. Right now, a very small percentage of Mainers do have such choice - limited by a quirky set of grandfathered local funding and governance structures. Is this really the best we can do?
Tomorrow, you have a choice. Do you want a governor who sticks with the party line - Republican, Democratic, or Tea? Or might some independence be better for Maine?
Hi,
As most of you know, I have been working as a volunteer educational policy advisor to Eliot Cutler for the past nine months. We are now down to the wire on the race for Governor. It is clear that Paul LePage will be the next Governor if the advocates for a strong public education system in Maine, from pre-school to graduate school, continue to split their votes between Libby Mitchell and Eliot Cutler. The leadership of the Maine Education Assn has gone out of its way to distort the policy positions of Eliot since day one of his candidacy, portraying him as pro-”merit pay,” for “vouchers to private schools,” for teacher accountability and evaluation systems that are based primarily on test scores, and that his cost reductions would force layoffs for “6000-7000 teachers.”
Eliot has positions on each of these topics. And although they are not in line with the positions of the MEA leadership and Libby Mitchell, they are thoughtful positions that hold some promise for creating breakthroughs that can lead to making progress in student achievement throughout the entire public education system. Maine has been devoid of any forward-thinking leadership for the last five or more years. At the state level we’ve lost our way. Teachers, school leaders, community college and university personnel are ready for real leadership.
I am attaching a 3 minute video clip by Eliot and a one-page statement outlining his educational positions. Please take three minutes to view it. And if you have not yet voted, please vote for Eliot Cutler! He is the only candidate with a realistic chance of beating Paul LePage on November 3rd!
Thank you,
Dick
http://www.cutler2010.com/teachers/
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