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By the way Keith, I used an old mailing address to our local maine school list and therefore in your reply you have used that too. I resent my first mail to the correct address and now send our replies there too.<div><div>Sorry for inconvenience to all.</div><div>Gail <br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Gail Marshall <<a href="mailto:gmarshall@wildmoo.net">gmarshall@wildmoo.net</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">February 29, 2008 10:11:38 AM EST</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">"Keith Shortall" <<a href="mailto:KShortall@mpbn.net">KShortall@mpbn.net</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: MPBN/School Consolidation Reporting</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> Keith,<div>I sat in the Senate that day (last Monday), introduced myself to Mr. Higgins and heard the report. It was one of the better ones in that it included coverage of sound bites from those who voted on either side of the issue. (By the way, he took audio from me too but diid not use it. Rest assured that as one not normally before a microphone, it was with relief and not disappointment that i did not hear my voice coming through my speakers that evening.) </div><div>Since this issue has ground on for over a year, my ability to recount specific passages of concern fails me. But if we sat down together to listen to the oeuvre of MPBN's work on this topic, I can assure you we would have a lively discussion. I have winced too many times about it to let this latest stand-alone, gratuitous and really rather remarkably mean-spirited shot by the Governor go by unchallenged. Your coverage has tended to be almost exclusively what people inside the state capitol are saying about the intent and likely effect of school consolidation. It has leaned heavily towards what the Commissioner and the Governor assert without question. I see their press releases. I hear how relatively close to their talking points reportage tends to be. It is important for you to know and reflect in your reporting that there is a huge disconnect between what is being said in Augusta about this matter and what is being said and experienced by those of us who are at work in our communities trying to run our schools. (I am a school board member, chair of our high school board and chair of our Reorganization Planning Committee.)</div><div>Like I said at the end of my mail below, we on MDI are among the people who have been most consistently and insistently pushing back. I really do think we and similarly situated school systems are worth a visit. Not because we have nothing better to do, heaven forbid. Not because we are contrarians. Not because we are power-mad school board members. It is because we have fine schools that work well. Because the Department of Education has constantly misguided our schools-all of our schools, on many issues-and they have no credibility within the educational community any more. Because on it's face the State's plans will do our schools and communities harm. Because it is a complex issue that requires some understanding of the details. Because there is something important at stake in this fight over "local control." That term can be used to justify a lot of parochial sins, but it can also be used in a perfectly legitimate defense of unwarranted and unwise encroachment by a bigger branch of government.</div><div>I happen to think exploring the real-life implications of this debate requires and deserves more than sound bites.</div><div>I don't listen to or watch commercial programming. Sadly, I wouldn't bother to challenge what they do. I challenge you because I expect more from MPBN.</div><div>I know the roads are "wicked bad", but send someone out to find out what is really going on where it counts: in our schools.</div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Gail</div><div><div><div>On Feb 29, 2008, at 9:11 AM, Keith Shortall wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><font face="Arial" size="+0" color="#000000" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Dear Ms Marshall,<br><br>Thank you for your feedback on our story on Kid's Count. I have forwarded your comments to our reporter, AJ Higgins, and have carefully looked over all of your detailed points. We'll be sure to consider them in future stories. In response I would ask whether you could be more specific about our past coverage, and how it has fallen short. Were you able to hear our coverage of the hearing on the Damon amendment earlier this week, which quoted both Senator Damon and House Majority Leader Pingree? If so, did you find it to be lacking? If you missed it you can hear it at our website, in the radio news archive.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br></font><font face="Times New Roman" size="+0" color="#000000" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br></font><div style="text-indent: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="+0" color="#000000" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Reported By: A.J. Higgins Date Aired: 2/25/2008<br>A bill aimed at removing barriers for towns grappling with the state's school administration consolidation law has now been amended, and the change, according to opponents, could undermine the intent of the original effort. The amendment would allow communities to create a "superunion of governance" which supporters say would provide more local control for taxpayers.<br></font></div><font face="Arial" size="+0" color="#000000" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br>We try to very hard in all of our coverage of such complicated issues to bring in both sides. I'm sure you can also understand that in-depth analysis of the financial implications of school consolidation is a challenge in four minutes on the radio. Thank you for listening, and I look forward to hearing more from you.<br><br>Best,<br><br>Keith<br><br><br>Keith Shortall<br>News/Public Affairs Director<br>Maine Public Broadcasting Network<br>309 Marginal Way<br>Portland, ME 04101<br>Phone: 207-874-6570 or 1-800-884-1717<br>Fax: 207-761-0318<br><a href="http://www.mpbn.net" target="_blank">www.mpbn.net</a><br><br>More to Explore<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>-- This e-mail message may contain material that is confidential or proprietary to MPBN. If you are not the intended recipient(s) or the employee or agent responsible for delivery of this message to the intended recipient(s), you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail message is strictly prohibited. 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