I am a high school teacher in Lewiston and have taught in Maine’s public schools for the past eleven years. It is a tremendous honor each day to build relationships with students and work to positively shape their future. Because public service is my passion, I know that each day I will fight for my neighbors to ensure that their voices are heard in Augusta.
Having taught in various school districts around Maine and now in Lewiston, for me it’s clear that our educational system is not doing enough to break the cycle of poverty that exists in so many Maine communities. Increasing our state’s vocational education resources will be a major priority of mine because so many young people are adrift in the traditional classroom model and graduate with limited workforce skills or a sense of what is truly possible for their lives.
I am also motivated to run for office because I love Lewiston and the state of Maine. I feel lucky to have found Maine by way of coming to college here and that I get to raise my two children here with my husband, Matt. I want to do my part to give back and help make the state become a more equitable place where everyone can strive for a well-paid job and live in a safe and affordable neighborhood.
Maine students need more hands-on education to help them grow as critical thinkers and problem solvers. Vocational opportunities from nursing, HVAC, to building construction should be as common as Algebra or English and it’s time we make this investment to grow Maine’s future.
The state must continue to provide free tuition for Maine’s community college students and expand workforce training programs for adult learners. With our state’s aging population and skills-gaps in the labor force, the legislature must help people acquire job ready skills and transition into the workforce.
Mainers continue to rely on oil heat more than any other state which puts us at risk for volatile prices while hurting the climate. However, due to our state’s bold investment in renewable energy, we also lead the country in heat pump installations. Let's continue investing in renewable energy to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels to move towards an independent, cleaner future.
Since the pandemic, the cost to own a home is increasingly out of reach for too many Maine families. On top of that, rental housing is scarce and consumes too much of Mainer’s monthly budgets. To solve the crisis facing our state, the legislature must work to expedite new construction of homes and support the rehabilitation of our old housing stock to increase housing supply to ensure all Mainers have a safe and affordable home.
Nearly every Mainer knows someone impacted by addiction or has been directly impacted themselves. By expanding recovery access and related housing and emergency services, Maine can help those struggling with addiction to get the support they need. To tackle addiction, we must also confront the root causes and work to ensure that mental health and resiliency supports are accessible and in place, especially for individuals at higher risk.
Maine public school teachers, educational technicians, and childcare workers deserve better. Let’s build on recent legislative successes where educational technicians saw a deserved raise and childcare workers stipends increased and finally raise the minimum teacher’s salary to $50,000 so we can keep our passionate and capable educators in the classroom.
