[Local-Maine-Schools] respose to your response

Wed Feb 6 16:00:56 UTC 2008

Frank,

I am very sorry that you and I seem somehow to have gotten off on the
wrong foot.  Your characterization of my views does not at all reflect
what I intended to communicate, nor what I myself believe. I apologize
if my reply seemed flip.  I assure you it was not intended to be.

I also feel somewhat at a disadvantage because, given only your email
address, I do not know with whom I am corresponding. Have we met? If
not, why not? We definitely should.

So, I would like very much to invite you to come to our RPC meetings
which is where these matters are generally openly discussed.  Believe
me, voices that carry passion, as yours does, seriously get heard.
Tremont has exactly the same number of representatives as any of the
other MDI towns and, to this date, the RPC has made no decisions which
Tremont's representatives opposed.

By that, I don't mean to suggest that your concern is unwarranted.  At
the same time, I don't think it's something that the RPC has not
considered.  We've been told very specifically by Tremont's own
representatives that decisions over what happens in Tremont's schools
should be made by Tremont.  All I meant with my reply yesterday was to
acknowledge some agreement with that.

Last, strictly as a representative from Bar Harbor, I want to point
out that there is no differential in teacher contracts across the
island.  Teachers in Tremont are paid just as much as they are in Bar
Harbor.  Bar Harbor also spends less per pupil than Tremont does,
although this is probably entirely a function of Bar Harbor's larger
school size.  But, even so, Bar Harbor's mill rate contribution toward
total education is actually higher than Tremont's, which indicates
that Tremont is at no valuation disadvantage to Bar Harbor and,
actually Bar Harbor's average taxpayer is already shouldering a
greater burden.

I mention this, not to be argumentative, but to show that Bar Harbor
is not enjoying any tax benefit from not pooling its local resources
with Tremont.  If Tremont and Bar Harbor were to consolidate, Tremont
might well find that it was kicking in a little more toward
Conners-Emerson, rather than vice-versa, while at the same time ceding
voting authority over its own school to Bar Harbor's greater
population.

These are not simple calculations and the consequences are complex.
Come to any RPC meeting and you'll find us discussing them.

Best wishes,
Brian Hubbell

On Feb 6, 2008 8:53 AM, frank <keengumbo at gwi.net> wrote:
>
>
>  Actually,thats not the inference I would draw from that either.What I would
> say is that your list is just another example of how poorer communities that
> are adjacent to much wealthier and supportive communities,as far as
> education is concerned,often perform substandard to thier counterparts.Which
> in this case,since all our kids end up at the same island wide high
> school,is in need of rectification.Your suggestion that Tremonnt is free to
> consolidate,frankly struck a nerve.With whom do you suggest we consolidate ?
> Perhaps Blue Hill.We could establish a flotilla of boats to ferry our kids
> accross the bay!This disparity will never end untill all schools on this
> island are recognized as equal and supported the same.Your dismissal of the
> Tremont school so handidly ,speaks volumes to the pervaisive attitude on
> this island-,as well as exemplifies the true nature of this debate.The well-
> healed see no reason to prop up the not so well-healed-,even if they share
> the same geographical area,and ultimately send thier kids to the same high
> school,Tremont should feel free to consolidate...please.By the way,my fifth
> grader from Tremont won the National Geographic geography bee,beating two
> eigth graders  in the process, for his school.The local newspaper didn't
> pick up the story.They did however report on the Conners Emerson winner ,who
> happened to be an eigth grader,and had pictures and accolades.Once again our
> little school was left out.Maybe the Blue Hill paper would be interested in
> the story.And I'd like to tell you what my son said after seeing the
> story.He said" huh, I guess Tremont School dosen't matter".It's interesting
> that at 11 years old he is already starting to feel the disparity that
> exists on this island,? Don't you think <sparkflashgap at gmail.com>
> To: <keengumbo at gwi.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 1:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [Local-Maine-Schools] Too much football
>
>
> > That's not an inference that I would draw from that.
> >
> > But I do think that, if Tremont citizens decide they want to
> > consolidate, they certainly should be allowed to.
> >
> > --Brian
> >
> > -------------------------------------------
> >
> > On Feb 5, 2008 12:54 PM,  <keengumbo at gwi.net> wrote:
> >> I noticed Tremont is not included on your list.Does that mean that we in
> >> Tremont would benefit from consolidation?
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Brian Hubbell" <sparkflashgap at gmail.com>
> >> To: <local-maine-schools at mainetalk.org>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:17 AM
> >> Subject: [Local-Maine-Schools] Too much football
> >>
> >>
> >> > Re: Local control of education should have its limits, Elinor Multer
> >> > http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=167181&ac=PHedi
> >> >
> >> > QUOTE:
> >> >>Local control of education should have its limits
> >> >>For example, it asserts community prerogatives
> >> >>are more important than students' interests.
> >> >
> >> >>...local school groups and the organizations that
> >> >>represent them have failed to recognize reasonable
> >> >>limits for that control, even when it subverts local education.
> >> >>...so the politicians took what seemed to offer
> >> >> the only available route. They tied consolidation
> >> >>to the budget and rammed it through.
> >> >
> >> > This is nonsense.  Ms Multer apparently has been watching too much
> >> > football if she believes that degree of opposition is proof of the
> >> > value in brute-force school consolidation
> >> >
> >> > Listed below are most of the high-performing schools in the state.
> >> > Every one of them presently operates under what Ms. Multer
> >> > characterizes as the impoverishment of local control.
> >> >
> >> > These schools run the full range of sizes.  But what each has in
> >> > common is a direct local relationship between school, governance,
> >> > town, and taxpayers.
> >> >
> >> > Asa C Adams School, Orono
> >> > Bangor High School
> >> > Boothbay Region Elementary School
> >> > Brunswick Jr High School
> >> > Cape Elizabeth High School
> >> > Cape Elizabeth Middle School
> >> > Coastal Ridge Elementary, York
> >> > Conners-Emerson School, Bar Harbor
> >> > Dresden Elementary School
> >> > Easton Elementary School
> >> > Easton Junior-Senior High School
> >> > Eastport Elementary School
> >> > Edgecomb Eddy School
> >> > Ellsworth Middle School
> >> > Falmouth Middle School
> >> > Farwell Elementary School, Lewiston
> >> > Frank H Harrison Middle School, Yarmouth
> >> > Gorham High School
> >> > Great Salt Bay Community School, Damariscotta
> >> > Harrison Lyseth Elementary School, Portland
> >> > Jonesport Elementary School
> >> > Jordan Acres School, Brunswick
> >> > Longfellow School, Brunswick
> >> > Longfellow School, Portland
> >> > Madawaska Middle/High School
> >> > Marcia Buker School, Richmond
> >> > Monmouth Academy
> >> > Mount Desert Elementary School
> >> > Mount Desert Island High School
> >> > Mount Vernon Elementary School
> >> > New Sweden Consolidated School
> >> > Orono Middle School
> >> > Palermo Consolidated School
> >> > Perry Elementary School
> >> > Pond Cove Elementary, Cape Elizabeth
> >> > Raymond Elementary School
> >> > Robbinston Grade School
> >> > Scarborough Middle School
> >> > Veazie Community School
> >> > Waterville High School
> >> > Wayne Elementary School
> >> > Wells Elementary School
> >> > Wells Junior High School
> >> > William S Cohen School, Bangor
> >> > Wiscasset Primary School
> >> > Yarmouth Elementary School
> >> > Yarmouth High School
> >> >
> >> > Source:
> >> > Dr. David L. Silvernail; The Identification of Higher and Lower
> >> > Performing Maine Schools, School Profiles and Characteristics; Maine
> >> > Education Policy Research Institute; May 2007
> >> > http://www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/Reports/IdentifyingHigher.pdf
> >> >
> >>
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> > To send a message to the list, write to:
> >> > Local-Maine-Schools at mainetalk.org
> >> > To unsubscribe or change subscription settings:
> >> > http://mainetalk.org/mailman/listinfo/local-maine-schools_mainetalk.org
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
>
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