Lewiston School Committee Ward 4

James Handy and Benjamin Martin are running for Lewiston School Committee Ward 4 on Nov. 3, 2015. Learn about more candidates and issues in our Election 2015 guide.

Name:

James R. Handy

Email address:

jrhandy@megalink.net

Occupation or primary source of income:

eServices at L.L.Bean

Education:

Graduated with honors from University of Southern Maine with a BA in political science.

Family information:

Happily married for 32 years; three children who attended Lewiston public schools

Public offices sought or held:

Lewiston School Committee, Maine House of Representatives, Maine Senate

Why are you running for office? Why should voters select you for this job?

I am running because I believe wholeheartedly in the value of public education.

I believe public education truly is the path to personal, economic and community success. My three children are all products of the Lewiston public schools and all three found their niche while attending Lewiston schools. Their experiences speak to the wide range of opportunities offered at our schools. My daughter found music and theatre programs that led her to numerous theatre and musical roles and ultimately a career in education; my eldest son received extraordinary special education services which prepared him for success in the field of education and in college; and, my youngest son took advantage of one of the array of programs through Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s Culinary Arts program preparing him for higher education at the Culinary Institute of America. He is now the head chef/manager of a local restaurant. All hold college degrees and have stayed in the area.

Our story is replicated by numerous families from Lewiston who have attended Lewiston public schools. I want this kind of success for all of Lewiston’s children, whether they choose to go to college or enter the world of work after high school.

Those who claim that Lewiston schools are not highly regarded are perpetuating a myth. Lewiston schools have been recognized statewide and nationally for their stellar education. Our school to work transition program Jobs for Maine Graduates and Project REACH have received many awards.

I had the honor of working with Republican Gov. John McKernan and sponsored the legislation that created Jobs for Maine Graduates. Our Adult Education program has also been singled out as one of the best Adult Education programs, and has been recognized for its outstanding leadership and innovative programs for adult learners. On more than one occasion, the Maine Departments of Education and Labor have called on Lewiston’s program to create and pilot programs that connect learners with the world of work. I supported the creation of our pre-K program, classrooms dedicated to children with autism and reducing the number of students in a classroom (the student-teacher ratio). I am well-engaged in my community, having been born here, living here all my life, working here, and raising my family here.

My interest in Lewiston goes beyond serving on the School Committee. My community engagement shows that I have been actively involved in volunteering my time with numerous groups and organizations, including:

— Literacy Volunteers, Androscoggin

— Campaign for Grade Level Reading

— L/A Arts

— Red Cross Blood dDonor

— Healthy Androscoggin

— Lewiston Recreation Department

— Pettingill School Building Committee

— Farwell School Building Committee

— Lewiston High School Music Association

— No Kid Hungry – Share Our Strength

I have been invited to speak at a number of local, state, and national organizations:

– Great Maine Schools Project Mitchell/Gates Foundation

– Blaine House Conference on Volunteerism

– Education: Mandating Service at the State Level Maryland Department of Education

– Jobs for America’s Graduates, Atlanta, Ga.

– Expanding Your Internal Consulting Skills: Facilitating Adult Learning Seminar, Bangor

– National School Boards Association Annual Conference, San Diego

– Bates College

– University of Southern Maine

– Central Maine Community College

It’s easy for people to bash public schools, but the fact is we are privileged to have many dedicated and innovative educators who are giving their all to educate students of all abilities and learning styles.

Having said that, we are always striving to make our schools better and relevant to the world we live in. Public school education is the great equalizer. Standing on the sidelines complaining and criticizing is not constructive and does nothing to address the education of our children.

I am a passionate about education and children. I have been on the front lines fighting for quality education and creating innovative solutions. I am well-qualified and well-equipped to continue that fight on behalf of the children and families we serve. Change for change’s sake is simple. Having qualified representation with a deep knowledge of education matters is critical to meeting today’s challenges.

Was the last $64.7 million school budget passed too low, too high or just right? And would you support a school budget that boosts program spending, maintains or cuts program spending and why?

The budget passed was a responsible budget.

Because we have been creative and innovative, we have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars. The fact that Lewiston voters have passed our school budget every year since referendums began proves that taxpayers approve of the careful way that we are spending tax dollars.

Over the last several years, the school department has turned millions of dollars over to the city to help balance its budget. Smart budgeting has enabled us to renovate and improve our school buildings, reduce class size, and implement programs aimed at, for example, children with autism spectrum disorder, pre-K education.

After rolling out Proficiency Based Learning and new diplomas for the Class of 2018, the administrators changed direction and have now delayed the new diplomas until 2021, while other parts of PBL are being implemented now. Is that a good idea or not? Why?

I support Proficiency Based Learning. We have made great progress in developing how this state mandate will look for our schools and we have more work to do. We have many parents and community members helping with this important task. PBL will help student be focused of their work and be clear on what needs to be achieved. Allowing students to use alternate methods to demonstrate what they have learned is an essential element.

Classroom overcrowding has been a concern. Do you favor hiring more teachers to reduce classroom sizes? If yes, where should the money come from?

Reducing class size has been a priority of mine. We have made a substantial impact on reducing the number of students assigned to a teacher. In fact, we have already hired more educators to reduce class sizes. We have significantly reduced the number of students sent out of district for specialized programming, saving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, and giving us the ability to reduce class size. I will be vigilant and carefully watch our classroom numbers and address any further changes.

The school committee recently voted to build a new elementary school near Lewiston High School that combines and replaces the Martel and Longley schools and gives the city improved athletic fields. Do you favor this plan?

Over several months a diverse committee of citizens studied possible sites then made their recommendation to the School Committee. Never before has a Site Selection Committee made a unanimous recommendation for a particular site.

The School Committee then unanimously agreed with the recommendation. I do favor this plan. The site is central to both Martel and Longley schools, which is good for students and parents. Locating the new school adjacent to Lewiston High School opens up all kinds of opportunities for collaboration for students and parents.

Name:

Benjamin J. Martin

Email address:

bmartin0285@gmail.com

Facebook:

Ben Martin for Ward 4 School Committee

Occupation or primary source of income:

Residential administrator

Education:

Associate’s degree in business administration

Family information:

Proud parent of two children, ages three years and eight-months.

Public offices sought or held:

Never sought or help public office before.

Why are you running for office? Why should voters select you for this job?

I am excited and eager to help build a stronger school community, one that fosters communication and transparency with all stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, taxpayers and administration. For too long teachers’ and parents’ thoughts and concerns have been silenced. While I am only one vote, I believe my responsibility as a School Committee member is to listen, be a voice and ask the questions that those in my ward want to hear the answers to.

Having two children about to enter the public school system gives me the added advantage of having my decisions make a direct impact on the future of my own children.

Was the last $64.7 million school budget passed too low, too high or just right? And would you support a school budget that boosts program spending, maintains or cuts program spending and why?

I believe the budget was passed in the “just right” category, though I am deeply concern that the budget did not address the overcrowding in our elementary schools.

I want our schools to have as much money as humanly possible — but I want to make sure we are spending every penny wisely. While $64 million sounds like a lot, many are saying needs are not being met with issues such as classroom sizes, technology needs and teacher pay.

I want to go through the budgets and make sure that we have all of our priorities in the right place, and know that we are getting the most out of every penny. I look forward to collaborating with teachers and parents to identify our priorities for our schools’ budget.

Collaborating with all stakeholders will ensure our budget remain “just right” and that the spending of this budget is responsible.

While there are merits to Proficiency Based Education, our rushed implementation is of serious concern.

I believe diplomas should mean something. I believe that there should be clarity in what grades stand for, on how grades are arrived at and that all students should be held to the highest possible standards that are right for them. I also believe teachers should be given appropriate time to plan and develop a curriculum that works and that they are confident in.

If this implementation has taught me anything, it is that our School Committee needs to do its due diligence to make sure any major changes to curriculum are fully flushed out prior to implementation.

Classroom overcrowding has been a concern. Do you favor hiring more teachers to reduce classroom sizes? If yes, where should the money come from?

Whether they are in kindergarten or high school, all students learn differently, all students require different levels of one-on-one interaction with their teachers.

Large classroom sizes are hindering the ability of our teachers to provide the amount of attention they need to on the individual level to students. Teachers are expected to manage classes of 25-plus students.

While Lewiston has talked about large class sizes for a number of years, little is being done to make decreasing them a priority. We are adding administrator positions every year, like deans of students and teacher coaches which I do not doubt are nice-to-have positions, but the priority should be using the funds for those positions to actually make a direct impact to lower classroom sizes.

While I am thrilled that this year the administration found $400,000 to fund the hiring of more educators, this is just a small drop in the bucket for what we need. Once you get to the middle school and high school teachers are responsible for 100-plus students. So while the law points to standards on kindergarten classes, we cannot lose sight of what is right for all students and faculty.

I believe the plan is the best option available to the city of Lewiston, considering all the factors involved in such a decision. While I still have concerns about the location (traffic, elementary next to a high school, etc.) I believe these concerns can be worked out prior to the opening of the new school. This will take careful planning by all parties, including administration, the School Committee and the general public.