In schools, we teach students to activate the bystander, not to let bullies call other people names, to call them out and correct them. It is time to do the same with our governor.

At a recent town hall, he said schools have “failed miserably” in the last 20 years. I am calling him out.

Paul LePage is degrading every teacher, principal and superintendent in Maine. He is insulting all the students who have graduated from Maine schools and gone on to become lawyers, doctors, engineers, electricians, plumbers, social workers, business owners, scientists, game wardens, police officers.

Maine schools rank 12th in the nation. Is that failing miserably?

His charge that the Maine Education Association refuses to work with the governor on teacher training is also false. Our union president has contacted his office, but his office has not responded.

MEA does train teachers. I recently earned my National Board Certification, the highest certification a teacher can achieve, with the help of my union. MEA sets up cohort groups throughout the state to mentor teachers striving to earn their national certification. I could not have done it without the union’s help.

MEA holds training conferences on a Saturday so all teachers can go. These conferences cover a wide range of topics from teaching math to economics to history.

Professional development is the responsibility of school districts, not MEA. Each district has goals they working toward, be it incorporating the new Common Core standards, or responding to intervention for struggling students, or digital citizenship. It is not the union’s job or responsibility to dictate to the school districts what types of training to offer the district’s staff.

LePage should stop degrading hard-working Mainers. Stop complaining. I, for one, am tired of it. Say something good about Maine for a change.

Ginny Brackett

Vassalboro

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