AUGUSTA — Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, earned a perfect score for his voting recording in support of students and teachers from the Maine Education Association’s 2021 legislative scorecard released last week.
“Every morning, Maine teachers show up to work to educate, coach and inspire the next generation of workers, business owners, parents and community leaders – even in the toughest of circumstances, finding creative and innovative ways to reach their students. It’s nothing short of remarkable,” said President Jackson. “Our teachers need more than words of gratitude from politicians. They deserve our respect, our support and our commitment to match our words with action. It’s why I am proud of my work this session to ensure that teachers are compensated fairly for the heroic work they do and have the necessary resources to do the job well.”
As the son of a public school teacher, President Jackson has proven to be a fierce education advocate in the Maine Legislature, supporting teachers, students and schools. This past session, he joined his colleagues to fully fund education at 55 percent for the first time since voters mandated it at the ballot box in 2004. The funds will ensure teachers have the necessary resources to get students back on track while shifting costs away from property taxpayers.
This year, President Jackson also supported efforts to bolster Career and Technical Education, prioritizing investments in CTE teachers and equipment and facility upgrades. The first measure will help Maine attract and retain high-quality professionals to train the next generation of workers. The second measure will ensure that Maine students are learning on industry-standard equipment and graduate with the skills and experience to secure good-paying jobs and fill gaps in our workforce upon graduation.
MEA represents 24,000 Maine teachers and advocates for policies and investments that ensure that educators’ voices, values and priorities are heard and respected both in the workplace and at the State House.
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