Maine Morning Star: Maine’s gubernatorial candidates agree on education challenges, but not solutions

“Too many students fall behind in reading and math early and don’t get help quickly enough,” Bennett said in his written response. “I support regular screening, faster intervention, high-quality instructional materials, evidence-based teacher support, and better data so schools and families can act sooner.”

Bennett said he would add mental health clinician and counselor ratios to the education funding formula so schools can hire needed staff with more state support. He also supports tiered frameworks currently used by schools that allow educators to offer personalized support based on student needs.  

Bennett oppose changing Maine law that explicitly protects the rights of trans athletes to play on sports teams and use school facilities aligning with their gender identity. Despite President Donald Trump’s administration targeting Maine for its policy, both said if elected that they would uphold that law.

Bennett also voted against state-level attempts to roll back those protections last year, breaking from his Republican colleagues before he left the party to run as an independent for governor.

He said he believes “schools should provide a safe and respectful learning environment for every student,” adding that laws should not change while there is pending litigation.

After many years of educators pushing for higher pay amid chronic staffing shortages, Maine recently raised minimum teacher salaries to $50,000 by 2029. Bennett, a co-sponsor of that bill, said it’s not enough, though added that “pay alone doesn’t solve the workforce crisis.”  

“Maine also needs to improve retention and strengthen the teacher pipeline through mentoring, support for new teachers, paying student teachers, and helping Maine students afford college if they commit to teaching here,” he added.