2017-05-12 Update
2017-05-14
Legislative
Update
Happy Mother's Day
Introduction
We have fully entered
that last eight week section of the legislative session. Beginning
next week, we begin having session on Wednesdays. So, we begin to
meet as legislators on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - and then soon we
meet in double sessions.
House
Calendars
Bill Text
-> Bill
Text
Bill Status ->
Bill
Status
Testimony Link -> Bill
Testimony
This is really a great resource as you can see
all the testimony presented on any given bill.
Events
Calendars -> Events
This week in the Education
Committee
While there are many bills which go
through the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, it seems important
to explain and reflect on some. Two bills were of note - a bill to
allow guns to be carried in cars while picking up and dropping off a
student, and a bill to allow students of legal age to carry guns on
college and university grounds.
In the first bill to permit
guns in cars while picking up and dropping off a student at school, my
concerns were with unintended consequences and liabilities. What
happens if the driver must park the car and enter the building? The gun is
still in the car and even if locked and unloaded, people do make
mistakes. If something should happen, who pays that liability?
Is the price of that liability worth the cost of that
privilege? I could not vote in favor of this bill.
In the
second bill - the campus carry bill - certain provisions were very
unclear. Guns could not be carried in public places like dorms and
classrooms - so how could a student actually carry a gun on campus as
campus is really about dorms and classrooms. Second, each university
already has the right to set individual gun policies, so I had to question
the very need for the bill. Third, some university systems allow students
to leave guns with campus security - and in this way, students can go
hunting after class and then return to school. The need for the
provisions went away when the realities of the current practices were
explained. Again, I could not vote in favor of this bill.
Reflections
We
have a system of standards for education in the state of Maine. The
Learning Results is our broad term used to represent how we have
interpreted national standards. Maine teachers and administrators
have worked for years and years to examine, write, and refine these
standards.
The current legislation concerning these learning
standards provides for periodic review and adjustment.
Yet,
we have heard several bills this session on repealing the standards. This
would drive the system backwards, wasting the time, effort and money of so
many of our dedicated educators. One proposal suggested we
adopt/adapt Massachusetts standards - standards which were dropped by that
state in 2009.
Instead, can we work to fully understand our
own standards, be sure that they are measured consistently, and revise
them as needed.
Somehow, common sense is what we need to keep in
focus.
As always, feel free to write to me and let me know your
thoughts.
