LEWISTON- Paul R. St. Pierre and Leah M. Poulin have a lot on common.

They both believe the federal No Child Left Behind Act is one of the most pressing issues facing Lewiston schools.

They both say standardized tests are acceptable, but students shouldn’t be required to pass one in order to graduate.

They both think they can help the city’s schools, parents and students over the next two years.

And they both want the Lewiston School Committee’s at-large seat.

St. Pierre, a husband and grandfather, has held the School Committee’s Ward 7 seat for 12 years. A move this fall will take him out of that ward.

So St. Pierre and Richard Bernier, the current at-large representative, agreed to swap seats; Bernier is running for Ward 7 and St. Pierre for the at-large position.

Poulin isn’t a part of that swap, and instead is campaigning independently.

She’s worked on political campaigns in the past, but never her own. A stay-at-home mother with a 2-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, she wants to bring a fresh perspective to the nine-member board.

St. Pierre said, “Education is important to me. And I’ve found that as much work as the school committee is and as frustrating and difficult as it is sometimes, the positive impact on education really makes it worthwhile.”

As a committee member, St. Pierre said he worked to ensure competitive wages for school staff while maintaining a responsible school budget. He said he worked with other school committee members and the superintendent to bring accountability and standardized programs to the city’s schools.

If elected, he believes he could help improve education by getting parents more involved in their children’s schooling.

“One of the key factors is getting with parents to make sure they understand learning targets and what their children’s learning targets are for each grade,” he said.

“Working with those parents so they know what those expectations are, that they are following their child’s progress and they don’t wait until they hear from the school if there’s a problem.”

Poulin also says that’s vital.

“I am a parent and I feel I can speak my mind and be an asset to the Lewiston community. They need to hear the parents’ side of things,” she said.

To improve education in the city, she would like to standardize programs and curriculum throughout the school system.

“I hope to help students, to better accommodate them as well as parents, in what they need in life,” she said.

St. Pierre and Poulin agree that the No Child Left Behind Act is a problem for Maine schools. They agree that, ideally, all teachers should make more money. They agree they would need to weigh the situation before impulsively cutting programs or asking for a tax increase when budget problems arise.

“I found that the best thing is to compromise with the City Council. Both sides don’t come out getting everything they like, but we understand that there has to be a compromise. It ends up being a win-win for both sides,” St. Pierre said. “Nobody is 100 percent happy, but hopefully everybody is 50 percent happy.”

While St. Pierre and Poulin agree on many issues, they don’t quite agree on everything.

St. Pierre believes the school system has handled the influx of Somali students wonderfully.

“Better than I would have expected,” he said. “I can’t say enough in support of the superintendent and the staff stepping up to the plate and addressing these issues head on with positive reinforcement, positive approaches. It’s not to say there haven’t been bumps, there haven’t been issues. But in dealing with those we’ve found the Somali community has been very supportive of the school department’s handling of the problems.”

Poulin isn’t so enthusiastic.

They’ve done “the best they think they can,” she said.

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How the candidates feel about:

Requiring students to pass a test to graduate

St. Pierre- Opposed. “Not everybody tests the same. It’s not a fair estimate.”

Poulin- Opposed. “Not all students are going to do well on a test, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know the information.”

Standardized testing

St. Pierre- In favor. “I think they have a very important function, if they’re designed right, to help address where a student is based on the standards.”

Poulin- Partially in favor. “They’re wonderful but they shouldn’t be the answer as a whole.”

The laptop initiative

St. Pierre – In favor. “But the pitfall is to put technology like the laptops into the school system and then not provide the teacher training to be able to do that integration of curriculum and technology.

Poulin – Partially in favor. “I think it’s wonderful however I have some questions about the age of children and the responsibility of the children who have it in seventh grade.”

Year round schooling

St. Pierre – Opposed. “It would be torturous. There would be more day dreaming, lower grades. Kids have to be kids.”

Poulin – In favor. “It isn’t necessarily going to school from January to December. It’s more going to school the traditional year that we have now, but having programs in place through the off season that help to support the educational needs of the kids that need support.