A longtime Democratic politician and government employee has been hired in a $121,000-a-year position at the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) as the state’s first “green schools director.”
Glenn Cummings, former president of the University of Southern Maine and speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, began his work in the newly created position on Monday.
According to a report from the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF), Cumming’s work will focus on facilitating coordination between climate education, facilities and transportation teams so that Maine schools “can pursue climate action that saves money and improves student outcomes.”
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As “green schools director,” Cummings will be tasked with coordinating the Maine DOE’s initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the state’s public schools, a goal that GOPIF states will be achieved by being more energy efficient and “adopting cleaner technologies.”
A recent foray by Maine schools into adopting “cleaner technologies” proved less than successful, when several Maine school districts that received electric school buses under a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program found the buses were prone to leaks, heating problems, and other malfunctions.
The green schools director position was initially proposed last year in a bill, L.D. 612, from Rep. Marc Malon (D-Biddeford). That bill, passed by the Maine House and Senate along party lines with support from Democrats, died on the appropriations table in late July 2023.
Funding for the position was included, however, in the Maine Department of Education budget approved by the Legislature at the end of the session.
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Cummings began his academic career as a high school history teacher in Gorham, later serving as a faculty member at Southern Maine Community College and the University of Southern Maine.
From 2000 to 2008, Cummings served as a Democratic member of the Maine House of Representatives for the state’s 115th district, spending one term as House Speaker.
Prior to becoming the University of Southern Maine’s 13th president in 2015, Cummings served as Interim President of the University of Maine at Augusta. He also served Deputy Assistant Secretary within the U.S. Department of Education under President Barack Obama.
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Cummings holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="31228 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=31228">15 Comments
“can pursue climate action that saves money and improves student outcomes.” The first step in saving money is spend 120k. Makes sense in millsland.
Ahhhh….liberals.
Didn’t a lot of us comment that the climate money would go to friends?
Look at all those useless degrees and certifications. It just demonstrates how corrupt our “educational” institutions have become. “Hack-o-Rama indeed!
My taxes are too high to fund nonsense like this.
Put the $ into the 3R’s as we are falling behind the rest of the USA and the World!!!
Green School what a term, programs flooded with green taxpayer dollars
The Green scam czar. More brain washing the public. I hope people figured out that windmills and solar panels only destroy the environment and make people like him and the power companies rich on government subsidies.
If Cummings was a Republican he’d stave to death.
“can pursue climate action that saves money and improves student outcomes.”
A yellow school bus, gas stile cost about $100,000! A EV bus cost about $300,000; not cheeper. And who knows what it will cost to get rid of the Li batteries. The Governor can not tell you can she. Ask Her!
As too “student out comes” the steps to adminster narcan are “on the pakage” so why does a school systerm like Leweston have to take time out of a Jr High student’s day to learn how to administer a dose if they can READ. Or are their reading levels so LOW they have to be shown???
Another bullshit title for a lifelong bullshit scammer! But, by the signs on peoples lawns they can’t get enough of it! It looks like district 1 is in stupid overload with brainwashed liberals running out to put the signs on their lawn for the very people that are destroying the businesses nation wide and flat out k^lling thousands of small businesses in the state and destroying the state economy!
Will this improve Maines standing in the US education system by moving it from the bottom third to at least somewhere in the top half? Not at all. Long ago public education was for the children. It now represents the union members interests first.
How is the climate currently impacting student outcomes? ELI5
The hits just keep on coming .
It isn’t going to stop .
It isnt going to get better .
It’s only going to get worse until we let REPUBLICANS take control of the state .
Democrats like Pingree are intent on destroying it .
Wake up .Please .
This guy has been a leech on the state of Maine forever, never worked a real job!! Mainers keep voting the Communist-DemocRATS in and eventually they will bankrupt the state. You get what you vote for !!!!