The Education Debate Heats Up

By Derek Viger
July 8, 2010

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This past weekend, Eliot Cutler wrote an editorial in the Bangor Daily News touting his educational platform and why it does not mesh with the Maine Education Association’s and Libby Mitchell’s views. Cutler was also critical of the MEA’s endorsement of Mitchell and what that meant for education reform in Maine. Mitchell replied in kind, submitting an op/ed of her own in the BDN. Mitchell called Cutler’s piece negative and “the kind of Washington politics that Mainers have rejected”. It seems the gloves have come off. Let the gubernatorial education debate begin!

Cutler’s View

Anyone following Eliot Cutler’s campaign knows that he has made education a priority from the beginning. Early on, Cutler became a vocal supporter of charter schools. In an interview last October, Cutler linked a prosperous economy to a quality education. Cutler also conducted an education survey a few months ago, seeking opinions of Maine’s educators on the direction of our schools. We also interviewed Cutler concerning his education policy back in April.

In his op/ed, Cutler said he was disappointed the MEA spent so little time discussing students during their endorsement interview. “Throughout four pages and eight long questions, the word “student” appeared twice in just one question,” said Cutler. The MEA, says Cutler, is only interested in increasing their share of an already small pie. Cutler’s criticism is not unfounded. The MEA has obstructed Maine’s Race to the Top efforts more than a few times, though they eventually gave a little ground. They have called for tax increases in a tough economy. The MEA lobbied hard against budget cuts when there was no money to prevent the cuts and other organizations argued the same for their interests.

The only reforms the MEA seems to be interested in is advocating for more money and playing defense(pdf warning). There was the “Great Public Schools(pdf warning)” effort which gets little mention from the MEA these days. If the MEA leadership does back any interesting school reforms they make little effort to let the public know. If there is an educational card up the MEA leadership’s sleeve now would be a good time for them to show their hand.

Cutler doesn’t spend the whole op/ed critiquing the MEA though. Cutler believes that teachers should be involved in education policy decisions. This would be a welcome change. Getting input from teachers in the trenches on policy direction in Maine would be invaluable. Hand in hand with that sentiment, Cutler hopes to give teachers more space to explore new methods in the classroom. “Good teachers should be free to innovate,” said Cutler, “and we should make more clinical and professional training available to help them do that.” Cutler also believes a new system of teacher compensation based partly on student assessments should be explored.

Cutler’s views on education are a departure from most Maine Democrats and some Republicans. He is using this issue to show his separation from the Democratic party and his opponent Mitchell. That is not to say that Cutler isn’t being sincere, just that this issue illustrates the pragmatic image Cutler is creating for himself.

Mitchell’s View

As one might imagine, Libby Mitchell does not agree with Cutler’s assessment of her education resume. Mitchell, herself once a teacher, said her experience in that position and as a parent have helped her in the legislature. Mitchell highlights her work on the Head Start program, Learning Results, Common Core standards and other reforms in her op/ed. Our schools cannot succeed, says Mitchell, without the support of Maine’s teachers. Mitchell then speaks of two Maine teachers who exemplify quality teaching to the candidate. One of the teachers, Marta Robbins, is chair of the MEA’s Human, Civil Rights & Cultural Affairs committee. The other, Bob McCully, is on the MEA Board of Directors.

The article is mostly devoted to defending Mitchell’s position as an education reformer in Maine. It is understandable that Mitchell would want to rebuke Cutler’s claims. In focusing her efforts there, Mitchell misses a golden opportunity. While Cutler’s article does contain some sharp criticism, there are solutions as well. Mitchell’s op/ed only challenges Cutler’s view of herself and defends Maine’s teachers. No one should fault Mitchell for standing up for teachers. However, this op/ed was a chance for Mitchell to present her own education policy plans and challenge the view that she is reinforcing the status-quo. Part of a campaign is a prolonged debate. Mitchell just lost a point to Cutler here.

Mitchell’s website does contain a section on education policy, where she advocates integrating business education in k-12 and improvements to higher education. Mitchell also participated in our education survey (links to all seven questions can be found here) Those do provide a bigger picture of Mitchell’s education view, but to not present that to BDN readers was a mistake.

Stephen Bowen’s View

Stephen Bowen of the Maine Heritage Policy Center also weighed on the brewing education battle. Bowen says that in an economy similar to our current situation, education issues are often pushed to the side – which is a big mistake. That is why this burgeoning fight over education between the candidates is so great. We’ve got mortar fire spilling onto the op/ed pages and the summer isn’t even over. As an ed policy wonk, you’ll have to excuse me for geeking out a bit.

In a critique of the race on July 6th, Bowen said, “there is the interesting geography of the governor’s race, with Democrat Libby Mitchell, the living embodiment of the establishment status-quo, squaring off against Cutler and LePage, both of whom are running campaigns with a strong focus on bringing dramatic change to the very system of K-12 education that Mitchell had no small hand in creating.” This would be a preview of what would come the next day.

Bowen believes that “Libby Mitchell” and “reformer” do not belong in the same sentence, unless “is not a” goes in between. The innovative schools bill which Mitchell references in her op/ed is not something to cheer about according to Bowen. Bowen also takes issue with the “stakeholder group” Mitchell helped create.

from Maine Freedom Forum:

Mitchell goes on to claim that she also helped to set up a system “where teacher and principal evaluations are coupled with student performance.” She neglected to mention that the only way such “coupling” can take place is if her supporters in the MEA sign off on it. The “stakeholder group” she created with a Senate amendment is the only body in the state that has the power to decide the manner by which student performance data is to be used in teacher and administrator evaluations.

Paul LePage’s positions on school choice, Shawn Moody’s advocacy of more options for non-college bound students, and Kevin Scott’s school funding solutions will be added to the mix as well. This really is shaping up to be one of the most interesting debates of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Eliot Cutler is leading the discussion right now. Libby Mitchell must show independent and reform minded Democrats she does not represent the status-quo but something more. The other candidates must be mindful not to be left behind.

Candidates are paying attention, as they should be. Education is ultimately about preparing students for the world. However, its influence is further reaching than that. The impact of education spills over into the economy. Educated students make for better contributors to an economy. A well educated workforce attracts companies. Families are drawn to localities with quality school systems. Education policy is of the highest importance. Watching this debate unfold over the campaign is going to be exciting. This is going to be one Hell of a fight.

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Tags: Charter Schools, Education, Eliot Cutler, Kevin Scott, Libby Mitchell, Maine Education Association, Paul LePage, Race To The Top, Shawn Moody

18 Responses to “The Education Debate Heats Up”

Steve Bowen

08. Jul, 2010

Derek,

Great detective work on the two teachers Mitchell cites in her piece – I suspected they were MEA higher-ups but didn’t do the leg work you did! Great job!
Derek Viger

08. Jul, 2010

Thanks Steve, but I can’t take all the credit. I did have help. Even with the “update” the MEA site is still cryptic for non-members. I’d also like to let readers know I have contact the MEA seeking quotes for multiple pieces since I’ve started blogging. I’ve never received a reply.

Again I’ll say that Mitchell had a forum to present her ed policy to a larger audience and botch it. A lesson for the future.
Jeff Neuhaus

08. Jul, 2010

This is now the second big issue (China delegation & job creation) on which Cutler is showing thought leadership. Without a well-educated workforce and citizenry, Maine will not be able to re-build its economy and keep people from leaving. This should absolutely be one of the key issues (along with jobs and healthcare) in this whole race.

I agree with Derek here — Cutler’s position on education shows a clear preference for pragmatism over pandering. That’s a welcome change.

I’ll look forward to hearing more from the other candidates not named Libby.
Matt

08. Jul, 2010

Great article Derek….like seeing everything from different sides. A few comments…

Libby Mitchell and I agree on most social issues, but she is absolutely the symbol of Maine’s cruddy, crappy business/education status quo. It’s irritating to see her reinforce union talking points because I do think she has great leadership skills. But I’m not going to vote for the same-old, same-old.

Don’t know where I stand on charter schools, think they’re interesting, doing more research before commenting on Cutler’s stance.

I do love Moody’s point, I can’t tell you how many 4 year degrees would give anything to go back and pick up a trade. The debt young Mainers are forced to deal with coming out of school is ridiculous (it’s not like there are a ton of jobs paying over 30K here).

The job market, even before the recession, is by far the most frustrating part of living in Maine. I badly wanted the Republican primary to produce a nominee like Otten, Mills, or Abbott.
Annie Tselikis

08. Jul, 2010

great piece. the reality is that all kids learn in different ways, and i think that this is especially true in more rural parts of the state like working waterfront communities and mill towns where kids grow up using their hands. and you want that kid to stay in school sitting at a desk? in fishing towns, marine trades programs have helped to leverage education and keep kids in school because the work was practical and the students can effectively engage with the learning process. there are better learning options than the status quo.

i’m also happy to hear about cutler looking to additional compensation options for teachers based on student assessment. some of the best teachers i had growing up were older people, but they were teachers who evolved in their training and continued to develop their curriculum in conjunction with the changing world. and then there were the old stock who were really just there for the paycheck. and no one wants to learn like that.
Will Martin

08. Jul, 2010

Otten is a failed businessman. Mills is a career politician and a lawyer. Abbott is Mr. Government Payroll, and a lawyer.

I’m thankful we have someone like LePage, with actual business experience and success, instead of either of those three general election disasters.
Gerald Weinand

08. Jul, 2010

Derek:

About Cutler, you write:

Cutler believes that teachers should be involved in education policy decisions. This would be a welcome change.

::

The MEA actually does this – collectively representing teachers as they lobby the DOE and the Legislature as a group.

::::

Again, it is important to remind readers that there is NO data that show that on average charter schools outperform similar public schools. The fact is is that charter schools are seen as an investment – not in education, but monetarily. One such example can be found in this report by Juan Gonzalez:

http://bit.ly/bpG4vk

Does this mean that some, maybe many, of Maine’s public schools do not require serious intervention? No, of course not – my wife taught Kindergarten this past year in a “failing” school. Poverty is the greatest indicator for poor student performance, and this leads to the giant elephant in the room: many children living in poverty enjoy little support at home, and in some cases their parent(s) actually undermine the teachers and admin’s.

If we really to talk about increasing student performance in Maine’s schools, we cannot ignore this important leg of the stool.
Dan

08. Jul, 2010

Two lawyers….

Two lawyers who spent much time in government failing to represent the Will of The People and failing to be proper stewardship of the peoples labors.

I’m voting for a statesmen with integrity who serves the people, not himself or herself.

Paul LePage 2010.
Matt

08. Jul, 2010

“I’m thankful we have someone like LePage, with actual business experience and success, instead of either of those three general election disasters.”

Oh please Will, stop the BS, my computer just went diarhea while reading your post.

You support Paul Lepage because he’s a social conservative…just like EVERYBODY else who voted for him in the primary. Anything beyond the social conservatism was just window dressing. Now you’re trying to hide that to make him more electable. Save it for the uneducated masses, the people in these forums aren’t that stupid.
Will Martin

08. Jul, 2010

Matt, this is too fun. You assume quite a lot. Have you ever heard of Bill Beardsley? He was a candidate in the Republican primary who was even more socially conservative than LePage. He must have missed all those “social issue only” voters that LePage brought in.

I’m sure the independents and democrats who are voting for Paul are breaking for him because of his stance on social issues. It has nothing to do with his success as Marden’s CEO, creating jobs in Maine, and his success as Waterville’s mayor.

It would be prudent to remove yourself from the “uneducated masses” before disparaging them. I understand people like you, very close-minded. (I know it was pointless to respond, but what the hell. The heat is making me do crazy things.)
Derek Viger

08. Jul, 2010

Agreed on your second two points. One your third point – learning is impacted by a great deal more than just the classroom experience. The factors you mentioned, or a disruptive student, can throw off the entire classroom. To forget the outside influences on learning would be a mistake. Unfortunately, it is not easy to tackle this issue through policy. What we can do is increase the quality of our educational system and given children the freedom to find their own paths out of poverty.

On your second point – I disagree that it is a fact charter schools are seen as an investment. Some are giving what is a promising movement a bad name. Because the average charter is no better than the average public school is misleading. Charters have been around for a little over 20 years. During that time charters have really grown over the last 10 years and only really gained in popularity over the past 3 or 4. Also in the time, according to this Fordham report (pdf warning), charters have never really been given the space they needed to operate as they were intended.

The public system much longer. We have been warned about the decline of the public system the early 80s. We tinker around the margins, but little is done to really give teachers and students the power to explore and learn without handcuffs. Far fewer people are saying we destroy the public school system that has been average, sinking below average in many cases, for a number of years. Yet charters have had a target on their backs since the start. It’s not about replacing one with the other. Personally, I advocate for public school reform as much as charter reform or private school reform. It isn’t that charters are better than public schools, yet. It is that they have the ability to grow and experiment that the public system, especially in Maine, does not provide educators.

Does the charter system attract some who seek to take advantage? Yes it does. So does the public system. That is no reason to damn either. We should be embracing all forms of education, not cheering for their demise. Not that I think you were necessarily saying that here. You just happened to spark a good rant Jer

I don’t agree that the MEA actually does that. The way the collectively represent teachers does not effectively represent the policy wishes of teachers. There needs to be more direct involvement of teachers in policy, not something filtered through the MEA leadership’s lens. And back to a previous point, there are some unionized and union run charter schools.
Derek Viger

08. Jul, 2010

One might also ask how many people were at the MEA endorsement meeting and how far up the organizational ladder you had to be to attend.
Matt

09. Jul, 2010

“I understand people like you, very close-minded. (I know it was pointless to respond, but what the hell. The heat is making me do crazy things.”

Please, enlighten us all regarding your understanding of people “like me”, I’m enthralled. Clearly you’ll have many interesting things to say as you know alllll about me.

Beardsley ran a completely incompitent campaign that failed to gain any traction at all. He failed completely at distinguishing himself. Like I said, save the campaigning for the masses, people who follow politics know BS when they see it.

“I’m sure the independents and democrats who are voting for Paul are breaking for him because of his stance on social issues”

Ummm…and just where are these democrats and independents? The election is still 4 months away, 80% of the electorate still have virtually no clue what the politics are for any of these candidates. I”ve only seen one poll for Maine, and it was from Rasmussen, hardly a reputable pollster. Why are you assuming that what may happen in South Carolina is going to happen in Maine? In 2008, even with a wave of negativitey towards Republicans, McCain still won states that are/were traditionaly conservative. Like I said, if Lepage gets even one high profile Democrat to support his campaign I’ll eat my shoe with extra mustard.
Student

09. Jul, 2010

Lol Beardsley came in ahead of Poliquin who self-funded his campaign, as well as Jacobsen who campaigned for how long? In my opinion, he wasn’t all that incompetent.
Will Martin

09. Jul, 2010

I get a kick out of people who say Rasmussen is unreputable or biased when they disagree with the poll numbers. Their last poll was pretty early and will definitely shift, but they seem to do Maine pretty well.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2006/governor_races/maine_baldacci_d_44_woodcock_r_34

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2008/2008_senate_elections/maine/election_2008_maine_senate

As for the Democrats breaking for LePage, I’m not talking about a high profile endorsement. Who would want a Democrat endorsing them these days? I’m talking about the electorate who has to live with the decisions made by Augusta. I’m talking about my grandfather who hates Republicans and is voting for LePage, or my grandmother on the other side who is doing likewise. I’m talking about the Democrats showing up at his fundraisers, and the numerous people I’ve talked to who say that their Democrat friends and/or family are all voting for LePage. How about the Democrats that consistently vote him as their mayor in Waterville? Alas, I’m sure they’re just all stupid, uneducated, and full of BS, just like everyone else who isn’t voting for your candidate.

LePage has across-the-board support, like it or not. That’s not “campaigning” or “BS-ing” or whatever pithy word you’d like to apply. That is a fact. Facts are stubborn things, I know.
Mike Gillis

09. Jul, 2010

What about Independent citizen governor candidate Kevin Scott? I believe he is the best candidate due to his Maine based agenda and innovative ideas based on real solutions.

See his website for education and school funding policy ideas… It should be included in this debate.

http://www.mainesbestchoice.com/school-funding/
Joe

09. Jul, 2010

I was a Democrat, I have switched parties and will be voting for Paul LePage in the fall.

I’m sick of it, I’m sick of politicians believing they have a right to a fake career and wasting away my money and my childrens money.

I’m sick of the lies, I’m sick of all the lawyers. They have done nothing for me in the past twenty years but instill more restrictions on my freedom and steal larger chunks of my income that never end up where it was said it would go.

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