[Local-Maine-Schools] Letter to Rep. Edgecomb from Jennifer Moore in New Sweden

[Brian Hubbell]

Dear Mr. Edgecomb,

Thank you so much for taking the time to come up to Caribou High
School a few months ago to meet with the public.  I sincerely
appreciate the efforts you are making to fight this regionalization
proposal.  I am against the regionalization proposal and hope that you
will vote against it.  I don't know if you would remember this, but I
stood up and made a statement that day in Caribou.  I have found it
difficult to put my feelings into print.  My husband and I moved to
New Sweden 2 ¼ years ago.  I am a PA certified biology teacher. I have
been heavily involved in four different school districts in the past 5
years.  Currently in New Sweden I am a substitute teacher at all
levels, volunteer librarian, and school board member.  My husband
volunteers at many levels as well and is also a substitute bus driver
for several schools in our area.  We will have three children
attending New Sweden (Union #122) Schools.

We considered a lot of things before we moved to northern Maine.  Life
is difficult here and cost of living is high compared to wages.  We
are 14 hours one-way from our nearest family member, but there were
some wonderful advantages to living here.  Number one on that list was
our wonderful school.  Our children are known in a way that we have
not experienced anywhere else.  They excel because they are known -
our standardized scores reflect this.  Their behavior reflects the
benefits of personal attention.  I am opposed to this regionalization
process for many reasons, but mostly because I have experienced the
results of the large regionalized schools for many years.  We chose to
live in New Sweden largely because of the prospect of something better
for our children.

To summarize:

1) I don't believe the "savings" are realistic for rural areas like
ours.  Many teachers, administrators, and staff have responsibilities
that are above and beyond the normal requirements for their job
description.  They do these efficiently for the good of our school
district and for the good of our students.  How do we intend to
replace that?  We will have to fill those responsibilities by hiring
new people for the jobs.  Hence, any funds that could be saved would
be used up by these needs and much more.  The governor seems to say,
"Well, I suppose you will have to eliminate some more jobs."  How can
we do that in an area that desperately needs to attract new residents,
not drive out the current ones.  I am angry that the governor insists
that we are only talking about superintendents.  Very few people in my
community have any idea of the real scope of the effects of this
legislation.

2) As I mentioned before, my husband frequently drives the school bus.
 I don't see how it could be feasible to transport students from such
a wide geographic area as has been proposed by the governor.  Road
conditions are not good at all in the winter and it has been difficult
enough to transport students as far as we do already.  Students will
be spending far too much time on the school bus.  We are just spread
all over up here and there is no convenient way to address that issue.
 The governor seems to say, "You can deal with that mess yourself."

3) The geographic area proposed by the governor is so diverse in
culture that it is not feasible to think of a megaboard situation.
Each of these small towns in Northern Maine has issues that are so
unique to their location that it would be almost impossible to
accommodate the various needs properly.

4) I certainly oppose the relinquishing of our school and
administrative buildings to the megaboard.  I have personally been a
part of a town where this has happened in favor of a large
consolidated school.  All of the previously vibrant communities are
nothing more than ghost towns, my own hometown included.  Have we not
learned a thing from the mistakes of others?  Why are many of these
towns now realizing that these efforts did not work?  Many of them
across the country are now trying desperately to decentralize.  The
effect on the communities has been disastrous.  There is no life at
all.  All we are left with are the empty buildings that remind us of
what we once had.

5) As a teacher and parent myself, I do not believe that bigger
schools give better results.  I have been a part of many large
schools.  They are a dime a dozen.  You can live anywhere in the
country and go to those schools.  We have something truly unique that
does draw new families to our town.  It is worth defending and
protecting with everything we have.  Our students really do excel! It
is worth the trouble!  It is worth the money!  When will any of the
talk of regionalization start to focus on what is best for the
student?  We are currently making many accommodations to make our
educational system as efficient as possible.  Those are primarily seen
in school unions that the governor now wants to dissolve.  These
efforts work because they are envisioned and carried out by the
residents of the towns themselves, not legislated and enforced from a
small group of people that haven't even taken the time to come and see
for themselves what we have done in Union #122.  We have a wonderful
school!

6) Lastly, I want to express one more thing that I have seen all over
the country.  When people are dissatisfied with the current public
school system, they either move away or find an alternate school
situation, whether that is private school or home school.  Currently,
we have some previously-home-schooled-students attending our school.
That would not be the case at a larger school.  My personal experience
has been that the parents will find some other alternative.  My
husband and I were both (and siblings) sent to private schools for
this very reason at great hardship for our parents.  My sisters home
school their children because of the terrible situations at their
public schools.  They are SO envious of our school.  They only wish
they could experience something so wonderful.  Our school is the best
thing we have going for this area.  I have asked many people in the
last few years why they came to live in New Sweden, and outside of
nearby family, the number one reason was the Union #122 School
district.  These are doctors and pharmacists and excellent teachers.
These are the type of people we want to draw to our communities.  I
know for a fact that they would move away if it weren't for our
school.  It is difficult enough to eke out a meager existence up here.
 Please don't take away the shining bright spot our school has become.

Thank you for your consideration,

Jennifer Moore