Shawn McBreairty, director of Special Projects with Maine First Project, addressed a concerned group of parents, grandparents, and citizens at the Lincoln County Republican meeting in Boothbay on Wednesday, June 21. He spoke about the priorities of the state of Maine’s K-12 education system. Shawn is the father of twin daughters who graduated from high school this year. He is also an outspoken critic of the use of Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a tool for correcting the wrongs of the past. He believes that the transition to a fair and accepting society can be made without blaming and shaming people. He believes that the inequalities of the past can be recognized and changed without labeling our country’s founders and people “not of color” as racist. 

He believes parents should be able to determine how and at what age their children are taught about sexuality, as this is a parental right. He gave examples of attending school board meetings, asking questions, reading aloud from the books that are available in libraries and classrooms and using the Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) in Maine to obtain information. He talked about the sexualization of children and gave examples of the books and material used in the courses. 

Per the 2018/19 MDOE State Assessment data, in Boothbay, 65% of the high school students were below, or well below state standards.

He identified a bill, LD-550, that had been introduced into the Maine Legislature that would have prohibited political indoctrination in public school classrooms by barring teachers from singling out one racial group as responsible for the suffering of another group. This bill failed upon party lines.

He sees a cultural war in our government-run school systems that pits the government and school system against concerned students, parents, taxpayers and even teachers. Children as young as 5 are being harmed in the process. Christian values and students who  profess them are marginalized and bullied. He gave several testimonies of concerned students and teachers. 

He recommended taking the time to find what is happening in your local district, then taking action to expose it. He believes school systems should be controlled by the citizens and exist for legitimate learning and not be indoctrination centers for politics or sexuality. But until then, Shawn recommended that parents consider enrolling their children in an alternate and more traditional system. Information on these topics can be found at the MaineFirstProject.org and the Maine Source of Truth podcast. They are also available on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio and other podcast locations.