McMahon fourth‑grade teacher speaks at school committee: 'The system is failing our students'

During the public‑comment portion of the Lewiston School Committee meeting, Luke Jensen, a fourth‑grade teacher at McMahon Elementary, told the committee he will resign at the end of the school year and urged action on long‑standing classroom and district problems.

Jensen said he first raised concerns months earlier and that, despite efforts to notify union leadership and building administration, he had seen no meaningful change. "The system that we have in Lewiston is not working for our students," he said, and described grading practices that he called disengaging and unfair, declining parent involvement, and a pipeline toward gang activity for some students who leave school without postsecondary opportunities. He said the cumulative effect harmed students' futures and teacher morale.

Jensen said he raised issues with union leadership and administrators but felt there was no effective channel for teachers to make their concerns known to the committee. He offered to meet with committee members privately for a fuller conversation and said he was resigning for financial reasons.

The committee acknowledged Jensen's comments during the meeting and later, in agenda planning, discussed follow‑up items including exit interviews and ways to solicit teacher feedback. Member Bowden later asked whether the committee could examine mechanisms to gather teacher input and consider the root causes Jensen described.

Why it matters: Jensen's comment highlights front‑line staff concerns about instruction, grading and supports for vulnerable students; the committee said it will explore ways to collect teacher feedback and consider follow up as a future agenda item.

What's next: committee members asked staff about exit‑interview procedures and said they will look at ways to obtain teacher feedback and consider a future discussion item addressing teacher retention and supports.