< newer | older >

The gloves are off in Maine's gubernatorial race, and it's not about household trash this time.

Independent candidate Eliot Cutler and Democrat Libby Mitchell are engaged in a debate on the Bangor Daily News' op ed pages over the Maine Education Association's endorsement of Mitchell last month. On the sidelines, there's a force trying to temper some of the reformists' claims. (More on that later. First, a synopsis.)

--

Cutler offered the opening salvo on July 1, when he said the questions MEA asked of the five candidates focused more on teachers, and not on boosting the academic achievement of Maine students.

"If you like things the way they are and want to continue paying more for getting less, cast your lot with Libby Mitchell and the MEA," Cutler wrote. "If you want change and reform, I hope that you will join me in creating an education system in Maine that is innovative, affordable and focused on results."

Mitchell fired back on Tuesday with a defense of her record of education reform and her role shepherding through the Maine Learning Results and increased collaboration among Maine's community colleges and universities.

"Maine does a good job of educating our children, but there are things we must do better if our kids are going to compete in the global economy," Mitchell wrote. "There are a lot of ideas out there, but there is no way we will succeed unless we support the amazing teachers that lead our classrooms."

She went on to praise the work of two teachers -- one in Falmouth, the other in Bangor -- and vouch for their role in improving Maine's public schools.

Derek Viger of Pine Tree Politics did some admirable snooping and found out the two teachers, Marta Robbins and Bob McCulley, are closely involved in MEA policymaking. McCulley sits on the union's board of directors and Robbins chairs the union's Human, Civil Rights and Cultural Affairs Committee.

Steve Bowen of the Maine Heritage Policy Center has also weighed in, skewering Mitchell's reform claims and raising questions about what role MEA is playing in her campaign and what role the union ultimately would play in a Mitchell Blaine House.

--

There's a clearly a reformist v. status quo current running through Maine's gubernatorial campaign.

The MEA has staked out an active role in the gubernatorial race. Then, there's another force trying to temper some of the reformists' claims without taking sides: the Maine School Management Association, which represents Maine's superintendents and school boards.

In the Democratic primary, Rosa Scarcelli made an issue of Maine's student-teacher ratio, arguing that it was unsustainable. It was a claim seeping into Maine political debate. So, Maine School Management responded with a bulletin pointing out that a federal report that showed a 9-to-1 ratio used incorrect data.

Then, in his July 1 op ed, Cutler called out the MEA and Mitchell for succeeding in "driving the costs of public education in Maine higher and higher."

On July 6, Maine School Management was out with another bulletin, pointing out that Maine's per-pupil expenditure is the lowest of the six New England states. The source was a U.S. Census Bureau report issued in June.

To be sure, Maine School Management has an agenda, as evidenced by its constant lobbying presence in Augusta. The organization opposed allowing charter schools, the school boards association it manages opposed school district consolidation, and it's been a voice consistently calling for more funding for the state's public schools.

From the MEA, we can expect overt involvement in the gubernatorial race.

From the Maine School Management Association, we can expect solidly reported facts that indirectly respond to claims frequently made about Maine's public schools that challenge its agenda.

Archives

• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010