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Teachers, parents and students urge RSU 5 board to preserve math, ESOL, outreach and language programs
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the March 11 RSU 5 board meeting urged the district to reverse proposed cuts that would eliminate a high-school math teacher, reduce ESOL staffing, halve the community outreach coordinator role and remove middle-school French, arguing those changes would harm student support, compliance and long-term enrollment.
At a packed public-comment period on March 11 at Freeport High School, teachers, students and residents implored the RSU 5 Board of Directors to preserve several positions and programs the administration has proposed cutting.
Marcia Wood, a longtime Freeport High School math teacher, warned that cutting a high-school math position would undermine students’ academic and social supports and make it harder to improve standardized-test outcomes. “Reducing the number of quality math teachers would not support improving these outcomes,” Wood said, describing the affected teacher’s extracurricular and mentorship work.
Erin Abbott, a 20-year math teacher who lives in Yarmouth, said eliminating the position would increase class sizes and limit individualized support, and urged…
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