A Danger to Avoid

 

     I would like to add my voice to the current debate regarding finding common ground on the State of Maine budget. There are many ways of finding common ground on this budget. The sticking point currently seems to be funding public education. I have written long before in previous posts about my position on a statewide teacher contract. It appears that this issue is a major negotiating item for Legislative approval of the budget. Governor LePage has come out and signaled his support of  the GOP proposal of piloting a statewide teacher contract as a way to find common ground on the budget. Ask yourself why he would support this. Because it would put negotiating teacher contracts under his political control (or whoever the governor may be). A statewide contract would not save money. In fact, it would likely add to the cost of education if all teachers in Maine were offered the same PROFESSIONAL salary and benefits. Or, in the alternative it would create yearly havoc in school departments across Maine because someone in Augusta would be willing to not negotiate in good faith. Create havoc - sounds familiar. It is exactly what Governor LePage, and now, President Trump, engages in. When systems are in turmoil, they are susceptible to devastation. Exactly what both LePage and Trump advocate. Reduce government by devastating the very institutions central to our way of life.

 

     I would hope that giving up local control of education and agreeing to even a pilot statewide teacher contract in Maine meets strong and continuous refusal. A statewide teacher contract would put education perilously close to the governor's control. This current governor is no friend of public education! His views on public education, as are the current federal views, are devastating public education. I hope the integrity of public education is supported in a way other than opening the door to a statewide teacher contract. Even if that means a statewide government shutdown. Public education is fundamental to our democratic way of life and is worth continued struggle to maintain it for the future.