{"id":12637,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/martha-witham\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:07:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:52","slug":"martha-witham","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/martha-witham\/","title":{"rendered":"Martha Witham"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Previous Offices Held<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My first municipal election was as a selectman for the Town of Medway.  I was elected in 1981.  I ran unsuccessfully for an At-Large City Council position in November 2019. I was elected to the Augusta School Board for Ward 2 November 2020.  I was elected to fill a vacancy (2021-2023) for School Board Chair June 2023.  I was re-elected as School Board Chair November 2023 for the 2024-2026 term<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Top Three Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1. Quality Education for ALL students. Every student deserves an excellent education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.  I will keep students at the heart of all decisions made by the Board. 2. Leadership. I will continue to lead with integrity, listen to our community, encourage collaboration and keep the Board focused on our shared goals. 3. Experience. I bring the knowledge and experience needed to make thoughtful, informed decisions for our schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Why are you running?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am running for reelection because I believe strong, experienced leadership matters.  I want to continue serving our students, families, educators and community by bringing thoughtful leadership to the Augusta School Board.  My goal is to build on the progress we have made, work collaboratively through the challenges ahead and ensure every student has access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to succeed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">What is the biggest challenge facing your area\u2019s schools? The biggest opportunity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our biggest challenge is raising achievement levels while facing significant funding constraints.  We must find ways to improve student outcomes, support our educators and provide the resources students need \u2014 while doing more with less.  This requires strong leadership, careful prioritization, creative solutions and a continued commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">A top issue for many parents is the age of Maine\u2019s school infrastructure. How would you address this issue locally from your position on the school board?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aging school infrastructure is a challenge for many districts, but not currently for Augusta.  We are fortunate to have a state-funded building project underway, along with the dedicated work of our maintenance and custodial staffs.  I will continue to support our staff and ensure our schools remain safe, well-maintained learning environments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e44e021b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-4-font-size\">Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-left is-style-short-red\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maine\u2019s capital city, Augusta carries unique responsibilities and has a high level of tax-exempt property, placing additional pressure on local taxpayers.  The state should recognize these challenges through appropriate, reliable funding and realistic mandates.  I will advocate for adequate state support while preserving local decision-making and ensuring changing mandates are fully funded and met.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7166,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Martha","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"A","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Witham","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":12607,"voter_guide_candidate_age":73,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Retired school administrator (teacher, principal and superintendent). Currently, an educational consultant working with two school districts.","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"My grandchildren are the sixth generation to live on the family land. Maintaining a connection to, and support for both the city and its schools continues to be important to my family.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"B.S. from University of Maine, Orono. Master's Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from University of Maine.","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1q_j7a6vDF-cMzqbWazv166qo8dm7VG36","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1073],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-12637","candidate","type-candidate","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vg_party-democratic"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/12637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/12637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12638,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/12637\/revisions\/12638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=12637"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=12637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}