AUGUSTA—Representative Sheila Lyman of Livermore Falls has been appointed to the Legislature’s Education & Cultural Affairs Committee, which has already begun meeting to review proposed bills.
Reached for comment this week, Rep. Lyman is looking forward to joining the legislative panel which has the most direct impact on the next generation of Mainers. “This is such a difficult time for educators, students and families alike, and they need to know the Legislature is listening to them. I’ll be working hard to put students first, especially in rural Maine, and to make sure the perspectives of teachers aren’t left out of decision making.”
This committee faces an ambitious workload this session including the review of legislative proposals relating to the Department of Education; State Board of Education; school finance, governance and administration; school budgets; school facilities; curriculum, instruction and assessment; teachers and administrators; special education and child development services; education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students; career and technical education; charter schools, alternative education, school choice and homeschooling; school district reorganization; online learning; student health, nutrition and safety; truancy and dropouts; educational services at juvenile correctional facilities; adult education; Maine Education Policy Research Institute; University of Maine System; Maine Community College System; Maine Maritime Academy; postsecondary education finance and governance; Maine State Library; and cultural affairs, including Maine Arts Commission, Maine State Museum, Maine Historical Society, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Maine Humanities Council and Maine Public, formerly known as Maine Public Broadcasting.
During her teaching career she served as chairperson and leader for district grade level work, curriculum and assessment development at both the local and state levels. She served as a voice for educational change while presenting at a variety of schools around the state and nationally. In 36 years of service she provided her students with educational experiences that laid the foundation for their journey into becoming a responsible citizen for the community.
COVID-19 will impact the way members of the 13-person committee will interact with the public. Hearings and work sessions will be conducted virtually by zoom for the foreseeable future. Rep. Lyman continued “if you hear about a proposed bill and have a strong opinion about it, then make sure to let me know. I hope to hear from many more constituents in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls this session.”
For the first time, Members of the public can watch recordings of live-streamed public hearings and work sessions on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/
