The LePage administration recently released a report card on Maine schools. Immediately, the critics came out of the woodwork. We found out everything that was wrong with the system used to develop this report.

Over the years, I have regularly heard calls to evaluate schools, school districts, individual educators, etc. Some people also raised objections to those evaluations, saying they’re not fair, or they would create winners and losers.

People make decisions about where to live based on the quality of schools. Internet real estate ads on the newspaper website contain a listing of nearby schools. People will evaluate schools. There is a need and a desire out there for information about the quality of schools.

People who object to the LePage report card shouldn’t tear it down, but instead build their own. Then they should show us how theirs is better.

If there is a better, fairer methodology to evaluate schools and educators, bring it on! Develop it! Use it! Show us the results! Let us know how their results are better than the LePage administration’s results.

If we listen carefully when a hurricane or major winter storm is headed our way, the forecaster may mention that there are multiple forecast models. None of those models is accurate 100 percent of the time, but as a whole they are useful in predicting the weather.

That same benefit could be enjoyed from multiple report cards about our schools in Maine. I welcome the light that the LePage administration report card has shed on our schools. I would welcome additional light from multiple perspectives. In the end, our young people would benefit, because, performance measured is performance improved.

Phil Pinkham

Jefferson


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.