LTE: Janet Mills’ record on education fails to make the grade
Portland Press Herald
December 19, 2025
As a parent of two children in Maine’s public school system, Gov. Janet Mills’ education policies have failed my kids. Under Mills’ watch, Maine’s public high schools went from being fifth-best in the nation to dead last. That decline should worry every single parent and teacher regardless of political party.
In 2024, Maine students had the lowest test scores in three decades for reading and math. Our elementary schools plummeted in national rankings, going from the top performers in reading and math to 43rd in the country. This didn’t happen because of spending cuts or failure to invest in Maine’s kids; it was a failure of leadership.
Despite a substantial increase in Maine’s state spending under Mills, our schools still plummeted to some of the worst in the nation. Mills is so focused on pushing her politics into my child’s classroom that she’s abandoned the basic education needs of our students.
In contrast, look at a state like Mississippi, which managed to move reading scores from 49th to 21st in under a decade. It did this with a budget of just $32 per student. Mississippi’s leaders are focused on students’ needs, not their own political aspirations, and the results are staggering.
Maine’s students deserve an education system that invests in students, supports teachers and provides the fundamentals every child needs to succeed. It’s time for our leaders to listen to the families who are witnessing this decline firsthand.
Gov. Mills’ report card grade as governor is a big fat F.
Nastassja Seigars
China
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