Our children deserve more than a closed door. “There is no more important work to be done than to craft a better plan to educate Maine’s children” are the very truest of words (Sun Journal editorial, April 27).

Gov. Paul LePage’s illegal efforts to hold a commission meeting behind closed doors as it relates to school funding appears to be a blatant disregard for the educational successes of more than 180,000 Maine students. It also willfully excludes parents, educators and community members from sharing their diverse points of views or experiences that may help shape and determine the Commission’s process.

The education of Maine children should be a partnership that includes community, educators and parents. Along with educators, the first-hand experiences of parents and community members may share valuable insight relating to each of their RSU structures while, more directly, they may help identify the increased costs per pupil and also help identify the mandates that push up property taxes.

State mandates, much like LePage’s tax cuts, shifted a lot the state’s overall financial burden to cities and townships of Maine. As parents, we are bearing that financial burden for our schools and communities.

There is an empty seat within the Commission with LePage’s departure. I respectfully request to fill that seat as a parent of one of those 180,000 students within the schools of Maine.

Maine’s children deserve more than a closed door.

Terri Lynn Pulley, Gardiner