Advocacy
You Decide
Education policy affects every MEA member and every student. The future of public education and in turn the future of each Maine student’s education is greatly impacted by the upcoming race for governor. When you head to the polls to choose a governor in November, the MEA wants to make sure its members are informed about where each candidate stands on the issue of public education. The following are some key points about each candidate’s positions on key issues involving education as compiled by MEA Government Relations Director John Kosinski. For questions or to learn more, please contact John at jkosinski@maineea.org.
Why Not LePage?
Why Not Cutler?
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Proposing cuts to funds for schools (-$12.5 million in 12-13 supplemental budget, another -$15 million proposed in FY14-15 budget) - Bangor Daily News,
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Cutler 2010 Campaign website and “A State of Opportunity” By Eliot Cutler
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Jan. 11, 2013 & May 12, 2012; Portland Press Herald, Dec. 27, 2012
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Continues to attack teachers, educational professionals, students, the MEA and public education as a whole using disparaging remarks - Press Herald, Mar. 19, 2013; Bangor Daily
News, Jan. 11, 2013; Politico.com – Feb. 2011
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Siphoning funds to charter schools and privatizing public education through for-profit education companies (virtual charters) - Bangor Daily News, Jan. 6, 2013; Charter Pulse, Feb. 2, 2013;
Press Herald, Mar. 18, 2014
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Proposed teacher evaluation rules that overemphasized student test scores as means for evaluation and removed job protections for teachers - Bangor Daily News, Feb. 8, 2012 Drastically cut the pensions of current and future retired teachers - Press Herald, Mar. 19, 2013 Attacking the MEA Benefits Trust - Bangor Daily News, Oct. 22,
Strong supporter of merit pay for teachers, where teacher salary increases will be based upon student performance -
Proposes schools compete for funding, which will likely impact disadvantaged small and rural schools - Associated Press, June 4, 2014
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Strong vocal support of Charter Schools, Virtual Charters In his last campaign Cutler proposed raising class sizes substantially - Cutler 2010 Campaign website Does not support collective bargaining and does not support allowing teachers a voice in matters of educational policy - 2014 MEA Screening and Endorsement Interview and March 11, 2014 speech to the Maine Association of Chamber Executives
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Proposed consolidation of University of Maine and Community Colleges - Bangor Daily News September 18, 2013 Cutler has repeatedly attacked the MEA and educators - Cutler Opinion Column Bangor Daily News July 1, 2010
2012
Created the A-F grading system - Press Herald, May 11, 2013 & May 15, 2014
Why Mike Michaud? • • • •
Respects and will listen to teachers and educators* Committed to 55% state funding of public education** Does not support charter schools+ Committed to working with MEA to fix our broken pension system and to improve health care options for MEA members+ • Will end the A-F grading system for schools** • Believes in and will protect collective bargaining+ • Willing to take a fresh look at educational policy+ Interview with MEA for Maine Educator, March 2013 http://www.michaud2014.com/education + 2014 MEA Screening and Endorsement process with MEA members *
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September 2014 • www.maineea.org
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