During tonight’s debate, Governor Janet Mills highlighted her stellar record of fighting for Maine’s schools, students, and teachers. Since taking office in 2019, Governor Mills has raised the minimum teacher salary, fully funded the state’s share of public education for the first time in history, and led the nation by signing a bill to make Maine one of the first states in the country to provide free lunches to all students.
While Governor Mills reaffirmed her commitment to Maine’s public education system, Paul LePage doubled down on national Republican talking points and his dangerous plan to insert state government into our education system.
Maine education experts and observers have openly criticized LePage’s education proposal, going as far as to say that it “shows that LePage fundamentally doesn't know how education works in Maine.”
During LePage’s eight years in office, he was dubbed an “enemy of public education” by the Portland Press Herald for his record of undermining Maine’s school system. LePage underfunded the share of state funding for schools by more than $1 billion, forcing municipalities to raise property taxes to properly fund schools, and he tried to push millions more in funding cuts. LePage also called teachers “a dime a dozen.”
His new education plan, which includes a voucher system meant to divert public taxpayer dollars money to private schools, shows that his disdain for public education has not changed at all.
###