Regarding the Sunday Telegram Jan. 28 story on Child Development Services failing to deliver services to children with disabilities when and in the amount necessary, it is also important to remember that shortages plague Maine in many service fields these days: teachers, nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, law enforcement, construction, etc.

The newspaper was correct in citing sources who said that “the state has never committed to providing the funding necessary to create a new system.” I was a CDS site director from 1999-2010. From the year 2000 onward, the state’s focus was cutting costs. The Department of Education tightened eligibility regulations first to serve fewer children, then it cut infrastructure.

The article states that Govs. Baldacci, LePage and Mills failed to make significant changes; that is wrong. They failed to make significant improvements. In the Baldacci administration, the Department of Education removed local boards of directors, centralized human resources, and consolidated sites from 16 to nine. A system that, in 2006, was rated by a legislative task force as one of the best in the country became one of the worst. An Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability report found that none of the changes saved money.

Early intervention and special ed are multifaceted with many stakeholders. Education Commissioner Pender Makin, however, presented a feasible plan to the Legislature on Feb. 1. Let’s hope now that the Education Committee and the Legislature have enough empathy, wisdom and judgment to do what they have failed to do in the past: move forward.

Dewey Meteer
Nobleboro

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