Christina Mitchell Representing Cumberland in District 110

I'm serving my first term in the 132nd Maine Legislature, representing House District 110: Cumberland, Chebeague Island, and Long Island. I'm a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

I've spent more than 30 years teaching English Language Learners (ELL) and social studies in Maine's public schools, in grades 7–12 and in adult education. I've taught at Wiscasset, Windham, and Portland high schools, Southern Maine Community College, and the University of Southern Maine, as well as in Taiwan and Japan.

I've lived in Cumberland for 35 years and have served on the MSAD 51 School Board. I'm a member of the Cumberland Historical Society, the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust, and the Cumberland 200th Anniversary Committee, and I belong to several (never too many) reading groups at Prince Memorial Library.

Legislative Work

Protected the Cumberland Fair: Sponsored an emergency bill to protect all of Maine’s agricultural fairs

An issue that arose specifically in Cumberland was the challenge to the 153rd Cumberland Fair's dates, causing significant financial and organizational harm. I worked across the aisle to write and pass a bipartisan emergency bill that provides the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry the tools in statute to prevent any state agricultural fair from taking another fair's assigned dates; this new law prevents future conflicts and ensures that all fairs in Maine can continue to survive and be enjoyed by the general public. It is opportunities like this, that impact all Mainers, which show that problems like housing, energy and education can be addressed across the aisle on behalf of everyone in the state.

Serving on the Joint Committee of Education and Cultural Affairs in the 132nd Legislature, I supported many educational priorities that were signed into law. That list includes the following:

  • Ban on cell phone use in public schools from “bell to bell"

  • State support for 55% of the total cost of K-12 public education

  • Changes (first time in 20 years) in the Maine Essential Services and Programs formula which distributes funding to public schools across the state, including a hold harmless stay for 3 years and measured increments for the districts most impacted by the changes

  • Three year olds included in public preschool programs

  • Increased access to affordable childcare and funding to clear the waitlist for eligible children

  • Funding to continue free community colleges this year and language to make that program permanent

  • Approved minimum teacher pay to $50,000

  • Funding for University of Maine system

  • Supported one-time funding to Maine Public Broadcasting Network to update the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation to regionalize emergency alert systems

Endorsements