When it comes to education, my dad, Dave Miramant, has always known the importance of seeing students as a whole person, not just as the summation of their test scores.

My dad has an interest in educational reform that comes from a much deeper place than just politics. As a non-traditional learner myself, I struggled to fit into the traditional learning model. Because of this, my parents identified resources and options that helped me develop as a whole person. It was important to them that school be a place where I not only learned about different subjects but also a place where I developed confidence and an appreciation for learning. My parents were so successful in their support that I became an educator myself, teaching in Maine before taking a job at Vassar College to work with students with learning disabilities.  

My dad understands the incredible importance of educating the future generations in a way that meets their needs as whole people, not only as statistics that define a school district. My dad supports a paradigm shift in academia that will make education effective for all learners. He sees the flaws in using standardized testing as the primary means of evaluating student success, and he recognizes that passionate, inspiring teachers and administrators need support in order to achieve these goals.

According to Pearson's Learning Curve analysis, the United States has a “cognitive skills and educational attainment” score of 0.39, which places us  14th out of forty nations ranked in that category. With the U.S. failing to lead world rankings across all areas of education, it is increasingly important to examine and improve our educational system. My dad, Senator Dave Miramant, has shown over the years that he is dedicated to looking at these issues and finding viable solutions that work for this community and for Maine. Please vote to re-elect him on November 8th so he may continue to do so.

Ashley Ridley lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is formerly of Camden