MAINE
OBE Battle Rages
Maine's constant legislative turmoil continues as the governor attempts to ram Learning Results down the throat of a protesting populace. Kathi Kearney, a public school teacher who has long worked with home schoolers, has found a sponsor for a bill called "An Act to Prohibit the Denial of Teacher Certification Based on Refusal to Participate in the Learning Results System," L.D. 1442. This bill for conscientious objectors would provide relief for teachers who believe that Outcome Based Education is a violation of the freedoms of children, parents, and teachers.
In a parliamentary move which forced the entire legislature to immediately shut down on April 1, the legislature managed to pass a budget which included funding for the Learning Results. All remaining legislation then had to be brought up in an "emergency session" or be postponed until next year. Unfortunately, the Learning Results constitute "emergency legislation," and so the battle continues.
Massachusetts, which passed similar legislation for public schools in 1993, is now trying to force Outcome Based Education testing on all students, whether in public, private, or home schools. Maine's duel-to-the-death struggle with the Learning Results today is a high stakes battle. If these education bills are implemented, home schoolers must be prepared to fight the creeping imposition of the system for years to come.
