I've worked in New Gloucester since I was 15 years old, when I could first work under Green Papers, and volunteered at the Pineland Y's summer camp before that. I've worked with children over half my life. Since college, I hoped to move back to Maine and establish myself in a school district where I shared a common interest and knowledge of rural life with my students. My ambitions seemed simple enough after the ease with which I'd found teaching jobs in New Hampshire and Vermont. Over the summer though, I quickly discovered that our LePage era budget hindered school districts so much that I was competing against veteran teachers with decades of experience for full time jobs, or even year long temporary jobs.
Once I am up in Augusta, I intend to find ways to expand our education budget so that schools are able to create entry level jobs for educators. Additional education technician positions will have the triple benefit of allowing educated young professionals to settle in our great state and get a foot in the door at entry level positions, help over burdened teachers in the classroom, and offer support to the next generation of young Mainers while they work hard at the education they deserve.
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