[Local-Maine-Schools] Education Committee's schedule 01/08-01/11

[Brian Hubbell]

Courtesy of the Clerk of the Education Committee, here is the
Committee's work session schedule for next week:
http://mdischools.net/20070107-11_EDUschedule.pdf

While it is heartening that the Committee evidently is following
Senator Mills' suggestion that the Committee directly solicit
battlefield reports from different regions, note on the schedule that
the initial group that the Committee is reaching out to is the RPC
facilitators.

As these facilitators are (with a few notable exceptions) employees of
the Department of Education, this may prompt some concern about a
mismatch of perspective, interest, and advocacy that the facilitators
may be capable of providing in relation to local concerns.

Moreover, it also is perhaps telling that the Committee sees the MEA,
the MMA, and MSMA as the primary stakeholders in this process.  If
nothing else, this is a frank manifestation of the ordinary myopia in
Augusta.

Yesterday, Representative Sutherland voiced some reservations about
opening the Committee's chamber to overwhelming negativity from
too many local nabobs, worrying that the disgruntled repeal infantry
will march to the state house even without an invite.

However, the Committee surely risks missing the critical and necessary
details if they don't hear directly from RPC members.