One candidate for governor has a detailed plan to change how Maine teaches reading. One has goals without specifics. The other has engaged less on questions about teaching methods.
A new report from the nonprofit Educate Maine, published by the Bangor Daily News on Thursday, found that most Maine school districts use at least one reading curriculum that is not backed by the “science of reading.” The findings come as Maine’s fourth-grade reading scores have fallen from second in the nation in 1992 to 44th today.
The contrast comes at a pivotal moment for Maine schools. Gov. Janet Mills is leaving office this year. Lawmakers from both parties have voiced frustration over stagnant test scores. Educate Maine’s report argues that fixing the problem depends on leadership from the next governor and education commissioner.
The BDN asked the three leading candidates for governor — independent Rick Bennett, Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles — where they stand.
Bennett gave the most specific answers. He would require every K-3 classroom in the state to use a curriculum drawn from a state-vetted list of science-aligned programs, arguing districts should keep some choice over which program fits their students rather than being handed a single statewide script.
The state, not local districts, should cover the cost of training teachers in the new approach, he said, warning that an unfunded mandate would fall hardest on rural districts and property taxpayers.
He set a goal of every Maine child reading proficiently by the end of third grade, and a firm deadline: getting the state out of the bottom tier nationally within his first term.
“Fixing early literacy is exactly the job of the next governor and the next education commissioner, and it will be the first thing I fix, not the last thing I promise,” Bennett said.
Pingree’s responses were broader. Her education platform commits to implementing the science of reading and investing in teacher training.
“Maine has seen a concerning, serious drop in reading proficiency, and that is not acceptable — not to me, and it shouldn’t be to any parent or teacher,” she said.
She said she would prioritize “focus and support for the reading and math programs that we know work” and invest in “real professional development, instructional coaching, and the time to put research into practice” for teachers.
But her platform does not say whether curriculum changes would be required or who would pay for them. Asked whether she would set a specific target for improvement, she said she would establish “clear benchmarks” without naming one.
Charles, in a Thursday evening interview in Caribou, said the state should set standards for schools but stopped short of endorsing the science of reading by name. He has released a separate plan built around cutting what he calls “nonsense” in schools, with a heavy emphasis on social issues.
He said he would put a “master teacher” in charge of the Department of Education, revisit the statewide curriculum and give districts flexibility to meet state benchmarks their own way, calling local control “the closest accountability to the parents and to the community.”
Charles said proficiency in reading and math by third grade shapes a student’s long-term trajectory and that test scores matter, but he did not commit to a specific timeline for improvement. On funding, he said he would not cut literacy or teacher spending, but would target administrative “waste” in Augusta and unfunded mandates.
“I think the state needs to set standards, but the standards themselves need to be objective. I don’t want a Republican standard. I don’t want a Democratic standard,” Charles said. “I want an up-down standard.”
