It's up to us to prepare Maine for the future
President of Walch Education in Portland and vice chairman of Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education
As we saw throughout the primary season, it’s evident that everyone cares about improving the quality of education in Maine. And it’s clear that everyone recognizes the importance of education to our economy, to jobs and to the ability of our children to find productive careers in Maine. This issue is near and dear to my heart. I grew up in Maine, and graduated from public schools here, but it took me 30 years to return. Now our kids are in first and fourth grades, and I want to help ensure that when they grow up, they don’t have to choose between living in a state they love and pursuing a rewarding career. Of course, the magic is in the details. If we want job opportunities for all Mainers, we need more college degree holders in our work force, and that means strengthening education across the board. As president of Walch Education, a small publishing company, I’m growing a business that needs workers with strong math, writing and task-oriented skills. It has been, at times, challenging to find the workers we need, and it is difficult for Maine to compete nationally and internationally with our current applicant pool. Since Maine lacks many of the commercial advantages that other states have, we must compete on having a highly skilled workforce. My personal and professional concern for education have driven me to become involved in the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education, and I was proud to help MCEE and an impressive array of partners launch the Prepare Maine initiative last month. Prepare Maine will help by focusing Mainers and their leaders on three clear goals:
All young children have access to quality programs that advance their development;
Students graduate from high school prepared with the knowledge and skills they need for college, career and citizenship; and
Many more Mainers complete a college degree or occupational certificate.
MCEE is helping Mainers understand education as a system. Much like an orchestra, our educational system works best when all of the “players” are skillful, with quality instruments, performing in harmony under strong leadership. Businesses and residents are as much part of the orchestra as teachers, parents, school administrators and public officials. The Prepare Maine initiative, www.preparemaine.com, is also showing Mainers how communities from Jackman to Searsport are successfully remodeling their educational systems to better prepare their people for the future. In general, the most effective reforms have focused on quality early learning experiences; high standards and personalized learning opportunities; effective teachers and educational leadership; engagement of parents and the community; expanded access to and support for college and work force training; collection and analysis of data; and efficient and equitable investment of educational resources. It’s urgent that we start focusing on these because our educational system is not doing enough today. For example, Head Start, a highly successful development program for low-income children under 6, serves only one-third of the children eligible. We’re losing opportunities to give more children a solid developmental foundation for future growth. Our K-12 test scores are falling toward the middle of the pack, and we’re only graduating 78.5% of our students from high school. Too many high school graduates fail to complete a college degree, in part, because so many need remedial courses. I’m happy to say the Maine Chamber of Commerce and the Androscoggin, Bangor and Portland regional chambers are supporting the Prepare Maine initiative. The business community is taking the lead making education job one for Maine. I hope you will join us in preparing Maine for a future where our children can find rewarding careers in the state they love.
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