This past weekend, Eliot Cutler wrote an editorial in the Bangor Daily News touting his educational platform and why it does not mesh with the Maine Education Association’s and Libby Mitchell’s views. Cutler was also critical of the MEA’s endorsement of Mitchell and what that meant for education reform in Maine. Mitchell replied in kind, submitting an op/ed of her own in the BDN. Mitchell called Cutler’s piece negative and “the kind of Washington politics that Mainers have rejected”. It seems the gloves have come off. Let the gubernatorial education debate begin!
Cutler’s View
Anyone following Eliot Cutler’s campaign knows that he has made education a priority from the beginning. Early on, Cutler became a vocal supporter of charter schools. In an interview last October, Cutler linked a prosperous economy to a quality education. Cutler also conducted an education survey a few months ago, seeking opinions of Maine’s educators on the direction of our schools. We also interviewed Cutler concerning his education policy back in April.
In his op/ed, Cutler said he was disappointed the MEA spent so little time discussing students during their endorsement interview. “Throughout four pages and eight long questions, the word “student” appeared twice in just one question,” said Cutler. The MEA, says Cutler, is only interested in increasing their share of an already small pie. Cutler’s criticism is not unfounded. The MEA has obstructed Maine’s Race to the Top efforts more than a few times, though they eventually gave a little ground. They have called for tax increases in a tough economy. The MEA lobbied hard against budget cuts when there was no money to prevent the cuts and other organizations argued the same for their interests.
The only reforms the MEA seems to be interested in is advocating for more money and playing defense(pdf warning). There was the “Great Public Schools(pdf warning)” effort which gets little mention from the MEA these days. If the MEA leadership does back any interesting school reforms they make little effort to let the public know. If there is an educational card up the MEA leadership’s sleeve now would be a good time for them to show their hand.
Cutler doesn’t spend the whole op/ed critiquing the MEA though. Cutler believes that teachers should be involved in education policy decisions. This would be a welcome change. Getting input from teachers in the trenches on policy direction in Maine would be invaluable. Hand in hand with that sentiment, Cutler hopes to give teachers more space to explore new methods in the classroom. “Good teachers should be free to innovate,” said Cutler, “and we should make more clinical and professional training available to help them do that.” Cutler also believes a new system of teacher compensation based partly on student assessments should be explored.
Cutler’s views on education are a departure from most Maine Democrats and some Republicans. He is using this issue to show his separation from the Democratic party and his opponent Mitchell. That is not to say that Cutler isn’t being sincere, just that this issue illustrates the pragmatic image Cutler is creating for himself.
Mitchell’s View
As one might imagine, Libby Mitchell does not agree with Cutler’s assessment of her education resume. Mitchell, herself once a teacher, said her experience in that position and as a parent have helped her in the legislature. Mitchell highlights her work on the Head Start program, Learning Results, Common Core standards and other reforms in her op/ed. Our schools cannot succeed, says Mitchell, without the support of Maine’s teachers. Mitchell then speaks of two Maine teachers who exemplify quality teaching to the candidate. One of the teachers, Marta Robbins, is chair of the MEA’s Human, Civil Rights & Cultural Affairs committee. The other, Bob McCully, is on the MEA Board of Directors.
The article is mostly devoted to defending Mitchell’s position as an education reformer in Maine. It is understandable that Mitchell would want to rebuke Cutler’s claims. In focusing her efforts there, Mitchell misses a golden opportunity. While Cutler’s article does contain some sharp criticism, there are solutions as well. Mitchell’s op/ed only challenges Cutler’s view of herself and defends Maine’s teachers. No one should fault Mitchell for standing up for teachers. However, this op/ed was a chance for Mitchell to present her own education policy plans and challenge the view that she is reinforcing the status-quo. Part of a campaign is a prolonged debate. Mitchell just lost a point to Cutler here.
Mitchell’s website does contain a section on education policy, where she advocates integrating business education in k-12 and improvements to higher education. Mitchell also participated in our education survey (links to all seven questions can be found here) Those do provide a bigger picture of Mitchell’s education view, but to not present that to BDN readers was a mistake.
Stephen Bowen’s View
Stephen Bowen of the Maine Heritage Policy Center also weighed on the brewing education battle. Bowen says that in an economy similar to our current situation, education issues are often pushed to the side – which is a big mistake. That is why this burgeoning fight over education between the candidates is so great. We’ve got mortar fire spilling onto the op/ed pages and the summer isn’t even over. As an ed policy wonk, you’ll have to excuse me for geeking out a bit.
In a critique of the race on July 6th, Bowen said, “there is the interesting geography of the governor’s race, with Democrat Libby Mitchell, the living embodiment of the establishment status-quo, squaring off against Cutler and LePage, both of whom are running campaigns with a strong focus on bringing dramatic change to the very system of K-12 education that Mitchell had no small hand in creating.” This would be a preview of what would come the next day.
Bowen believes that “Libby Mitchell” and “reformer” do not belong in the same sentence, unless “is not a” goes in between. The innovative schools bill which Mitchell references in her op/ed is not something to cheer about according to Bowen. Bowen also takes issue with the “stakeholder group” Mitchell helped create.
from Maine Freedom Forum:
Mitchell goes on to claim that she also helped to set up a system “where teacher and principal evaluations are coupled with student performance.” She neglected to mention that the only way such “coupling” can take place is if her supporters in the MEA sign off on it. The “stakeholder group” she created with a Senate amendment is the only body in the state that has the power to decide the manner by which student performance data is to be used in teacher and administrator evaluations.
Paul LePage’s positions on school choice, Shawn Moody’s advocacy of more options for non-college bound students, and Kevin Scott’s school funding solutions will be added to the mix as well. This really is shaping up to be one of the most interesting debates of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Eliot Cutler is leading the discussion right now. Libby Mitchell must show independent and reform minded Democrats she does not represent the status-quo but something more. The other candidates must be mindful not to be left behind.
Candidates are paying attention, as they should be. Education is ultimately about preparing students for the world. However, its influence is further reaching than that. The impact of education spills over into the economy. Educated students make for better contributors to an economy. A well educated workforce attracts companies. Families are drawn to localities with quality school systems. Education policy is of the highest importance. Watching this debate unfold over the campaign is going to be exciting. This is going to be one Hell of a fight.
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