Friday, July 27, 2012

Maine students to LePage: Our educations prepared us

http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-college-students-our-educations-prepared-us-_2012-07-27.html

The governor said Maine students who go to college are "looked down upon" because of a poor education, but graduates say that's not true.

Ashley Graffam, a 2006 graduate of South Portland High School, headed to the University of New Hampshire for her college education, along with a number of other Maine students. At no point, she said, did she feel judged as inferior for being from Maine.

"I feel like I was prepared to go to college," Graffam said Thursday. "No matter what state they're from, some kids learn better than others."

The 23-year-old was among several recent and current students who reacted to comments by Gov. Paul LePage on perceptions of the quality of public education in Maine. At an appearance Wednesday with Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen, LePage rolled out an education reform plan and said Maine's reputation for a quality public education was suffering.

"I don't care where you go in this country -- if you come from Maine, you're looked down upon," the governor said.

LePage's plan includes several familiar initiatives -- such as expanding school choice through vouchers and creating more charter schools -- as well as some new ones -- including requiring local school districts to pay for remedial courses for their college students.

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