To the editor:
Settling into my recliner with remote in hand, I looked forward to some serious “March Madness.” When I picked up the March 20 edition of the Bangor Daily News, the front page article titled: “Northern Maine lacks candidate for teacher award” captured my attention. Maine Education Department spokesman David Connerty-Marin noted that only nine applications for the Maine Teacher of the Year Award had been received, and none from “Northern” Maine. After reading the entire article, March Madness took a temporary back seat as I felt compelled to share my feelings on what many have come to expect from Department of Education press releases. Following some investigation of the Departments own Web site, I discovered that, in fact, there were no candidates from “Northern Maine” … nor from central, western or far eastern Maine for that matter. Upon closer inspection, I found that the most “Northerly” SAU to submit a nomination was Lewiston, (hardly the dividing point between Northern and Southern Maine I think) and the smallest submitting SAU was Freeport, (1,147 students) large by “Rural Maine” standards.
Please understand that my sentiments have nothing to do with comparing different regions of the state, but to demonstrate how words can make things look much different than they really are. I guess that’s known as “spin”. Over time I have found that too much of the information emanating from “The Department” has been misleading at best and, in some instances, divisive and/or impugned to imply things that may support pending Department initiatives or Legislative action.
While I fully support the “Teacher of the Year” program that the DOE sponsors, know the outstanding commitment and qualities that Teacher of the Year nominees, and all teachers possess, and applaud those SAUs that submitted nominations this year, there may be circumstances that make it difficult or even preclude some SAUs from participating from time to time in this worthy activity.
To even imply that there was a lack of participation from a particular region of the state because of “the regions lukewarm support of consolidation” is divisive and inflammatory. To think that this was even remotely responsible for the lack of Teacher of the Year nominations in “Northern” Maine is not only simplistic but seems to be quite typical of effective “spin.” I assure you that the value we place on our dedicated teachers is far greater than the “politics of the day,” and that’s a constant from one end of Maine to the other!
There are varied justifiable and valid reasons that impact the decisions made at the local school level that perhaps Mr. Connerty-Marin has failed to consider. I would expect, however, that a person in his position of responsibility with the DOE, should know that small SAUs may lack the personnel resources to compile the “mountain” of information and data that the nomination process requires;(could that be why the DOE is pulling out all stops to ensure consolidation?) or might it be that many deserving teachers throughout Maine make known their desire to serve the educational needs of the students in their districts and classrooms rather than commit to the 20-plus school days required to participate in official Teacher of the Year duties. SAUs across the State employ thousands of outstanding and deserving teachers, many of whom have been asked, and for whatever reason(s) have politely declined having their names submitted.
This has been an extremely difficult and frustrating year for everyone associated with preK-12 education in Maine. Legislative gridlock involving the consolidation debacle, the EPS funding formula that continues to decimate funding to rural and coastal Maine, the budget shortfall that has taxpayers and businesses reeling and School Boards scrambling to “pull things together” for kids, the prolonged wait for accurate district funding figures so local SAUs can begin the budget process that should have been nearly completed by now, and yes, even the weather has added considerable angst and are among the many circumstances that have contributed greatly to “survival mode” thinking.
For Mr. Connerty-Marin’s future reference:
• Most citizens in “my neck of the woods” (like most in “Northern” Maine) aren’t lukewarm to consolidation, but “stone cold!”
• Any such nomination can only be made with the “blessing” of the nominee who agrees to the time commitment the process involves.
• Please take Maine Geography 101 and perhaps you’ll learn that “Northern” Maine is a long way from Lewiston or Augusta for that matter, and that the Kennebec River probably isn’t the generally accepted line of demarcation between northern Maine and southern Maine.
• Don’t just assume that true “Northern Mainers” want to share that moniker with people who live in the central, eastern or western reaches of our great state any more than they probably desire to be called “Northern Mainers.” After all, aren’t we all proud to be just “Mainers?”
• State leaders have claimed for years that it’s not true, so please; don’t continue to perpetuate the myth that there actually are (in fact) two Maines.
• The people of our wonderful state (wherever they reside) deserve having you “shoot straight” with the information you are privileged to share. I think that’s the least we should expect … or accept, from either you or anyone in OUR Department of Education!
Roger S. Shaw
superintendent of schools
SAD 42 Mars Hill
