As a teacher, I heartily endorse the goal behind the Governor's "local schools, regional support" initiative --
but am somewhat concerned about its timetable and methodology. At our first meetings, before the initiative's details
were released last week, I shared my great hopes and excitement about regional collaboration with my new colleagues in the
legislature. Done right, a strong effort could benefit both students and taxpayers. But since the details were
released last week, I and others have become concerned about the process and timetable for this effort, some aspects
of which seem to jeopardize the initiative's chances of success.
Fundamentally, Governor Baldacci's purpose is to make us more efficient in preparing our young people for the future.
My colleagues in education obviously share this goal. Today, it is also clear that the Governor's initiative is
extraordinarily ambitious, promising major, immediate savings ($241 million over three years) and reorganization (a tenfold
increase in the size of school districts, yielding an improved education for our children).
This is a promise we should hear skeptically. In the real world, savings due to major reorganizations are generally
realized only after the transition is complete. To accomplish a major transition successfully and without cutting production, a
business generally needs to find more money in its short-term budget: not less.
The Governor knows what can happen when an organizational transition is rushed, poorly managed, and poorly funded.
This was recently the case at the newly formed DHHS (Dept. of Health and Humans Services), where a reorganization and new
billing system that intended to save dollars have instead squandered both efficiency and effectiveness.
I look forward to hearing how this "local schools, regional support" idea will work in practice, and to what extent the
process has been planned to ensure both efficiency and effectiveness. If the process is well planned, it will be because the
Governor, DOE (Dept. of Education), and Legislature are able to keep our focus on long-term gains for taxpayers
and students, not short-term gains for taxpayers and politicians.
I encourage my constituents to seek more information at the links below, and to let me know their thoughts and concerns.
Yours,
Seth
DOE Contacts:
Constituents with questions, comments or suggestions on this initiative only should
contact either Jennifer Pooler or Pam Rolfe at 624-6600 or jennifer.pooler@maine.gov and pam.rolfe@maine.gov.
The Department of Education has also provided a web form which may be used to submit questions
regarding the initiative: http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/qa.html
DOE Documents:
Found in the Governor’s proposed budget, language establishing the Local Schools, Regional
Support initiative may be reviewed here: http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/govbudget.pdf
Included in the budget language are the proposed districts, listed by municipality. This
link takes you to a map of the proposed districts and a projection of students per district: http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/towns.htm
Commissioner Gendron released a slideshow presentation intended to answer questions about the
LSRS proposal. That proposal may be downloaded either as a PowerPoint or PDF file.
PowerPoint: http://www.maine.gov/education/presentations/lsrs010807.ppt
PDF: http://www.maine.gov/education/presentations/lsrs010807.pdf
The Department of Education has set up a website with links to all of these documents.
http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/index.html
