Watching last Wednesday’s Five Town CSD School Board budget discussion I was  struck by the Board’s silence on a key educational issue.

Jen Munson, a respected English teacher, presented a compelling case regarding NWEA test scores that show students performing well below expected reading levels. She made a clear plea to retain the Literacy Intervention specialist in a full-time position providing remedial instruction to these struggling readers.

I found it both baffling and sad, that this plea was met with zero follow-up — no questions, no data requests, no discussion. Instead, the board’s energy focused on the staffing needs of the elective "Hatchery" program. The plan proposed for next year includes a full- time Hatchery teacher supported by a rotation of academic teachers ,which will include the Literacy specialist. 

How ironic that while Maine receives failing grades in reading instruction and "the right to read" becomes a national conversation, the Board and administration have prioritized hiring additional administrative office staff, $24,000 in chairs for graduation and elective staffing over a core educational responsibility — ensuring all students achieve the literacy skills necessary for adult life before they graduate. 

Judi Schelble is a retired CHRHS teacher and a resident of Camden