Patricia Brigham is running unopposed to fill the remaining two years of former board member Kevin Sweeney's term.



Patricia Brigham

Rock Crest Drive

Education: MBA, Babson College; BS Accounting, University of Rhode Island

Occupation: Volunteer and stay-at-home mom

Age: 46

Party Affiliation: Independent

Political experience: Three years on the Cape Elizabeth School Board.

Statement about candidacy: I am running for re-election because I
believe in the importance of community service and volunteerism. I
believe that my experience as a School Board member, community
volunteer and my professional background have provided me with a set of
skills which will allow me to make a positive difference in our schools.

Tax-reform priorities: I am not in favor of any TABOR or Palesky-type
initiatives. All seem to be blindly focused on lowering taxes while
ignoring why taxes are high here. There are reasons particular to
Maine– lots of undeveloped and preserved land, low population density,
geographic characteristics– which cost money to maintain. While I agree
that our taxes may be relatively high as compared to our incomes here
in Maine, I think the focus should be on raising the income levels
through investment in education, infrastructure, etc. that will
generate higher paying jobs.

Curriculum development: There is currently a lot of great work being
done in this area. We are focusing efforts on a K-12 curriculum that is
truly a continuum of instruction and knowledge. I support this
wholeheartedly. I also believe that our curriculum has to be fluid
enough to accommodate strengths and interests of individual teachers as
well as the changing world around us.

District consolidation law: I do not support the state’s mandatory
consolidation law. I am skeptical that it will save taxpayer money, and
even more concerned that it will do absolutely nothing to improve the
quality of education in this state. The logic behind the various
requirements of the law seems to lack depth and ignores the unique
attributes of Maine and its school districts. The cost of the law’s
implementation – consultant fees, town-wide votes ( until a budget is
passed!) etc. and the time demands it is placing on school district
leaders and educators, are diverting resources from the students of
Maine.

Special education: We are required by law to educate all of our
students. We must utilize resources that are available to us and work
toward the goal of meeting the educational needs of all of our
students. Typically, it costs a district more to educate a student with
different instructional needs. As many of the requirements involved in
educating these students are federally mandated, it would be desirable
for the federal government to provide the necessary funding. As they
are not, the burden falls on the local taxpayer. However,  the
investment made in educating these students, with the goal of making
them self-sufficient and productive adults, saves taxpayer money in the
long run.

Infrastructure needs: Recent budget constraints have forced us to defer
some maintenance items so that we could maintain educational programs.
We have had to abandon the replacement schedule for furniture and
computers. We have turned to parent groups and other volunteer
organizations like CELT to fund playground maintenance and upkeep. If
we do not maintain our physical plant now, we will pay more later for
repairs.

School spending priorities: Federal and state legislation around public
education has resulted in fewer options and far less control for
determining spending priorities at the local level. There are areas,
however, that I think that we need to invest in, including technology
and its integration into curriculum, instruction and learning. I also
believe that we need to invest in our teachers and coaches as the
expectations we place on them are constantly changing and increasing in
response to things such as globalization, politics, economic cycles.

Areas of school spending to be cut or eliminated: Our school district
is so fiscally conservative and has been in maintenance mode for the
last three years due to the Town Council imposed spending cap, I do not
see any areas that I would suggest need cutting or elimination.

Goals to accomplish in the next term: 1. A sustained commitment to the
district’s Future Directions Plan. I would like to see the strategic
plan becoming an integrated and guiding force for decision-making. 2.
Cultivation of an upbeat and innovative climate in our schools. We need
to constantly strike a balance between the dictates of standardized
testing and mandated accountability measurements with the creativity
and curiosity, which accompanies the learning process. 3.Strenghten
community connections. The worn out saying “it takes a village” means
that we all have a responsibility to our youth to contribute to their
education. But often the rewards for the teacher/community volunteer
are as great as those for the student.