SAD 17 makes recommendations to legislators

OXFORD — State funding formulas and unreasonable achievement standards of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative, as well as aspects of teacher requirements, Maine Care, and charter schools were topics of concern to area school administrators who met with state legislators on February 18.

Rick Colpitts, superintendent of SAD 17, advocated for various changes in state law that would help the cash-strapped district.

One factor that hurts local schools is the method of funding for Essential Programs and Services, or EPS, said administrators.

According to Colpitts' presentation, the state has never fully funded its share of EPS, and the formula unfairly penalizes rural schools, where lower population densities cause differences in the ratios of teachers and administrators to students, as well as transportation issues.

Colpitts recommended that the state eliminate regional salary adjustments, and have EPS evaluated by a third party.

Administrators also targeted the NCLB standards as "unrealistic." The federal initiative includes a series of escalating standards that require universal, 100-percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014.

"Therefore, district failure, school failure, teacher failure and student failure is inevitable," according to Colpitts. "The money available for schools in poverty will be shifted to those perceived as 'failing.'"

He also noted that learning targets and assessments have shifted five times over the course of the last 10 years, which leads to difficulties for teachers and students.

Colpitts also recommended that the state focus on support of Pre-K and K-12 budgets before "diluting" education dollars to fund community colleges.

"Adding Pre-K will significantly reduce need for catch-up growth for kindergarten through post secondary."

Colpitts also recommended that the state-mandated probationary period for teachers be extended from two to three years.

During this period, the contracts of new teachers may be allowed to lapse without administrative due process. Colpitts says that the extension would allow districts more time to assess teacher skills before offering them continuing contract status.

Colpitts recommended that the state legislature revise MaineCare Revenue formulas, which currently penalize SAD 17 for being one of the few districts in the state that is successfully billing for MaineCare.

He asked that the district be given "the same relief from state and federal regulations that Charter Schools enjoy," which he said would allow the district "to compete on a level playing field."

Reps. Terry Hayes and Jim Hamper were at the meeting, as was Sen. David Hastings, and representatives from the offices of Senators Snowe and Collins. Colpitts also spoke with Rep. Tom Winsor about the recommendations.