{"id":12674,"date":"2026-09-25T19:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/bethany-drouin\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:48:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:48:47","slug":"bethany-drouin","status":"publish","type":"candidate","link":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/candidates\/bethany-drouin\/","title":{"rendered":"Bethany Drouin"},"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\">None<\/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\">Hiring and retaining teachers: I will work to champion the people that directly impact student success.\n\nResponsible and fair funding: I will thoroughly examine budgets to ensure that they are sustainable, accurate, and wisely serve all students and staff. \n\nCreating equitable experiences for all students: I will ensure that every child feels safe, supported and ready to learn while at school, and provided with a high-quality education supported by evidenced-based curriculum and programming.<\/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 think it\u2019s time for a change. School board decisions impact all Winthrop residents, affecting our property values and our kids\u2019 futures. Our board needs to be balanced with members who put students first and focus on issues currently affecting our schools. Members who will abide by the schools code of ethics and Maine state law. Who make impartial decisions based on facts and avoid influence from outside groups. When elected, I will bring a fresh and focused perspective to our school board.<\/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\">Retaining and hiring quality educators and staff. Our school board needs to champion the people who directly impact our students by encouraging professional development and budgeting resources that support their work. Focusing on teacher retention and improving class sizes will have a positive impact on our children.<\/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\">We\u2019ve seen first hand the effects of an aging building here in Winthrop. I will advocate for proactive planning rather than reactive fixes while reviewing the budget to reduce wasteful spending and ensure it is sustainable.<\/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\">Did not respond.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12867,"template":"","meta":{"voter_guide_candidate_first_name":"Bethany","voter_guide_candidate_middle_name":"Sue","voter_guide_candidate_last_name":"Drouin","voter_guide_candidate_suffix":"","voter_guide_candidate_race_id":12666,"voter_guide_candidate_age":40,"voter_guide_candidate_hometown":"","voter_guide_candidate_occupation":"Community engagement director","voter_guide_candidate_bio":"I am an active volunteer in the school and lead the local PTO. At work, I create and implement nature-based educational programs, manage volunteers and work closely with community partners.","voter_guide_candidate_education":"High school diploma from Mount Blue High School","voter_guide_candidate_years_in_municipality":"","voter_guide_candidate_headshot_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=1BLI4qK7tabysJtcU7MFzcDTgPx0V4r0_","voter_guide_candidate_date_filed":"","footnotes":""},"vg_party":[1186],"vg_residence_municipality":[],"class_list":["post-12674","candidate","type-candidate","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vg_party-non-partisan"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/12674","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\/12674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12675,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidates\/12674\/revisions\/12675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vg_party","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_party?post=12674"},{"taxonomy":"vg_residence_municipality","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.pressherald.com\/voter-guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vg_residence_municipality?post=12674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}