We all want the best education for our children. But to improve education, we must first learn what we are getting for the $2 billion-plus that Mainers spend on pre-K-12 education.
The Maine Education Association, funded largely by the out-of-state national teacher’s union, has put a disingenuous initiative on the ballot in November. They claim Question 2 will “Stand up for Students,” but in reality it will extract more taxes from Maine families and businesses without improving education. In fact, as Mainers have increased funding of public education, our students’ performance has remained flat at best.
We must take a hard look at academic standards and accountability within our education system. Taking more money from successful people and throwing it at education will not improve academic standards or hold underperforming teachers accountable.
Everyone supports children, and everyone supports funding for education. The Maine Education Association claims the state does not fund 55 percent of local school costs, but they aren’t telling the whole story.
With a total education budget of more than $2 billion, it is unconscionable that teachers and students have to spend their own money to buy notebooks, pens and pencils. Question 2 will not solve that problem. This question will ensure school districts that already receive the most money from the state — wealthy places like Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough — will receive millions in additional funding. These communities already pay teachers some of the highest salaries in the state. Meanwhile, towns such as Blue Hill, Machiasport and Greenville will get nothing.
Even worse, student enrollment has decreased by 20,000 students over the last decade, despite the fact that pre-kindergarten has been added to public school enrollment. Just in the last decade, the number of students has declined by 11 percent — but spending has increased by 27 percent.
While spending continues to increase, school performance remains stagnant. Mainers deserve to know why their local school budgets are going up every year, but academic results are not getting better. The Maine Education Association cannot answer that question. They just want more money. They tug on parents’ heartstrings and say, “It’s for the children.”
Question 2 asks you to add a 3 percent tax on Maine’s family households and small businesses. Your favorite doctor, dentist, small restaurant or corner store would get slapped with a 10.15 percent income tax. They would get punished with the second-highest top income tax rate in the United States. These are the Mainers who already contribute the most revenue to our economy and our tax base. Driving their income tax rate over 10 percent would drive them and their tax revenue out of the state, leaving even less revenue for schools.
Question 2 would be devastating to our efforts to attract companies to Maine, and it would hinder the ability of our existing businesses to hire additional employees. In fact, small businesses could be forced to pay a higher tax rate than big corporations. The Maine Heritage Policy Center estimates Question 2 would cost approximately 4,000 private-sector jobs. By voting for Question 2, you could put your neighbor — or yourself — out of work.
We’ve worked hard to reduce the income tax, but the Maine Education Association is taking us backward. Instead of punishing successful Mainers, they should focus to make the education system more efficient and more effective.
I invited the Maine Education Association’s president, Lois Kilby-Chesley, to meet with me to discuss how we can improve education in the state. She initially accepted my invitation. Then she canceled and suggested we could talk later — after the election. Supporting professional development and investing in our teachers should be a priority, but the Maine Education Association would rather play politics than work to benefit our students and teachers.
The Maine Education Association should be considering how to combine school districts or share services. Instead of paying for a top-heavy system of administrators, they should be raising pay for our good teachers and putting more money into the classroom.
The Maine Education Association doesn’t want better academic results, and they certainly don’t care about lowering costs for taxpayers.
So remember, when the Maine Education Association says they want to tax you more, it’s not for the children — it’s for the union bosses.
Paul LePage is the governor of Maine.