[Local-Maine-Schools] bad news

[Dick Atlee]

(Context note: Paul's message below was sent to Hannah Pingree, and cc'd 
to others in the Legislature and on local boards, and to this list.  The 
list mechanism apparently strips all that information out of the header, 
so those of you who received his note through the list might not have 
been aware of its context.   Dick)

Paul Murphy wrote:
> As I said the other night, I think the administration will be satisfied 
> to be able to enforce EPS if their consolidation attempts fail. It is 
> and has been an underlying goal of this whole mess.
>  
> Where have the Democrats gone? Has the party of the people moved so far 
> away from its ideals that it can no longer support a quality education 
> for all? Have they bought the federal administration's apparent belief 
> that quality education is for those that can afford the tuition and not 
> us poor slobs?
>  
> Do you folks (legislators) not understand that, even at current levels, 
> if EPS becomes an insurmountable ceiling there will be no quality in 
> public education. It makes the Commissioner's goal of preparing every 
> student for college even more laughable than it is on its face.
>  
> Have you not noticed that any talk of consolidation actually improving 
> instruction has fallen by the wayside? At least there is no longer any 
> artifice...it is a shameless, mercenary incursion on our lives. It 
> certainly is as one of your fellow legislators so aptly phrased it "the 
> rural cleansing act".
>  
> Please do not stand by and let this happen. We need more than your 
> votes. We need your energetic advocacy. Certainly you have all heard 
> from your district- from the "self interested" education community, the 
> select boards, the citizens. Understand that we are uneasy that you have 
> not given us the comfort we need that you are on our side. It is clear 
> that anything coming from Appropriations will be antithetical to our 
> notion of local control and will include or be coupled with measures 
> that further harden the perversion of EPS from a floor to a ceiling.
>  
> The time to get off the fence is now. Until now you could reasonably say 
> you were awaiting a product from Appropriations. We now have a very 
> clear understanding of what that product will be. It's stench has 
> reached your district. Stop it on behalf of your district and your state..
> 
> 
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