Rep. Barbara Merrill, an independent from Appleton running for governor, had been a critic of the department’s moving to the test so quickly. She called it another example where the department refused to "look before they jump."
"The sky wasn’t going to fall in [if they had waited]," she said.
If Merrill wants to light a much-needed fire under her campaign, this is an issue she should seize. Mainers are serious about education. If she can convince folks that the current administration is inept in discharging its responsibilities in that area, she'd have a shot at the Blaine House. Despite the fact that Woodcock has an educational background, his call for placing creationism on a par with evolution in the classroom is darn near a deal-breaker for folks like me.
Peace,
Tor
