Why must we continually defend teachers’ incomes and the amount of money it takes to educate children? Those who are critical of their local schools should volunteer in a classroom or ask teachers and administrators for clarifications before they make unfounded complaints.

When schools have half days, teachers are hard at work. Regularly scheduled meetings allow teachers necessary time to compare testing results, adjust curriculum, etc. Students don’t have to make up this time because classes start earlier and school days are longer.

Teachers still stay after school, but they also work before school, during their lunches and from their homes.

People teach because they are concerned for future generations, not to get rich. Still, they have the right to earn an income that reflects their training and years of experience. Adequate resources and supplies, paired with smaller class sizes, are necessary to effectively prepare today’s students for the future.

If Question 1 passes, Maine’s children will be deeply impacted in extremely negative ways, which will lead to increased dropout rates and fewer students qualifying for college. Maine’s younger population will likely dwindle at a faster rate because Maine will become an undesirable place to raise children. This, in turn, will discourage new businesses and industries from settling in Maine.

Property taxes are a burden, but severely cutting back on education will introduce more extreme problems to Maine’s people.

Creating generations of under-educated, underqualified citizens is not the solution to Maine’s tax problem.

Lara Hall, Lisbon Falls

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