[Local-Maine-Schools] Reply to "Local Control Has It's Limits"

[Gail Marshall]

To the Editor:

The Op-Ed from a member of the State Board of Education, Ellie  
Multer, entitled “Local Control Has Its Limits” is a fine example of  
the arrogance that parents and educators involved in the day to day  
lives of our schools hear from Augusta all the time. Ms. Multer’s  
idea of “limits” to local control apparently permits us to attend  
bake sales and basketball games but not to have any responsibility  
for the quality of the education that takes place inside the  
classroom. Sorry Ms. Multer, but as a parent I already realize that  
my child needs to become a citizen of an ever-changing world. I also  
know that what happens inside that classroom, and who the  
superintendent is plays a huge role in whether or not my child’s  
school will help prepare her for that. I find offensive your  
suggestion that my place is in the educational kitchen.

I have a suggestion for you. Look critically at the job the  
Department of Education is doing. There is an unbroken trail of grand  
schemes, badly conceived and poorly executed, followed by the  
inevitable retreat accompanied by a declaration of victory. Down here  
at the bake sales we all know this. Maybe you could hire an outside  
consultant to let you in on it. Probably Ms. Gendron could put you in  
touch with one.

There are more flights of fancy in the pipeline. The Governor’s and  
Commissioner’s half-baked regionalization proposal, complete with a  
major reduction in teaching staff, is to be followed closely by an  
edict that high schools significantly increase graduation  
requirements, without any hint about where the money will come from  
to hire the additional teachers to teach all the newly required  
classes. It is this ceaseless air of unreality, with its real world  
negative consequences for our schools that puts our communities so on  
guard.

As a parent and school board member I would dearly love to have a  
functional Department of Education to provide progressive,  
constructive and collaborative leadership for our schools. If you  
want to improve the quality of our students’ educational  
opportunities and you want to hear something other than fear and  
loathing from local communities in this debate, you will clean your  
own house first.

Gail Marshall
PO Box 578
Mount Desert, ME 04660
207-244-7219

Gail Marshall is a member of the Mount Desert and Union 98 school boards