LIHU‘E — Hawai‘i’s public school system is not keeping up with the needs of society, John Waihe‘e III said Thursday. The former Hawai‘i governor was addressing Contractors of Kaua‘i members, scholarship recipients and their parents as well as invited guests
LIHU‘E — Hawai‘i’s public school system is not keeping up with the needs of society, John Waihe‘e III said Thursday.
The former Hawai‘i governor was addressing Contractors of Kaua‘i members, scholarship recipients and their parents as well as invited guests during the CAK Scholarship Dinner. Seven Kaua‘i students were presented $8,500 in scholarships, five being Class of 2010 graduates from three of Kaua‘i’s public high schools.
Hawai‘i is good in terms of funding, Waihe‘e said in a CAK news release. But the challenging side of the situation is the state is getting “less bank for the buck.”
Some 64 percent of Hawai‘i schools are not meeting “expected goals,” he said, and only about 13 percent of public school students are planning on attending college after graduation.
“The public school system is not keeping up with the needs of society,” he said.
Waihe‘e said Furlough Fridays, cutting instruction time by 17 days during last school year as a result of a budget shortfall, were not well thought out. That resulted in an across-the-nation impression that Hawai‘i’s schools were second class.
In the wake of the furlough dilemma, the state’s three former governors — George Ariyoshi, Ben Cayetano and Waihe‘e — were approached to see if they could help improve Hawai‘i’s public school system.
The three agreed and have identified major areas of concern, including governance.
“Nobody knows who’s in charge,” Waihe‘e said in the release.
Another issue is restoring more local responsibility for education and recognizing each community has different needs, he added.
A third area of concern is making sure teachers with teaching skills would actually be recognized for their efforts.
“It doesn’t make sense that in order for our teachers to receive more pay, they are actually promoted out of the classroom into non-teaching positions,” Waihe‘e said.
Governance is the easy part of improving the system, he said. A recent poll seeking to identify weaknesses in the education system pointed to a lack of clear vision and communication between the Board of Education and the Department of Education.
“Whoever controls the dollars, controls the system,” Waihe‘e said. “If we’re not prepared to transfer the taxing powers, then the idea of an appointed BOE instead of the current elected board makes a lot of sense.”
Gov. Linda Lingle on July 6 vetoed House Bill 2377, advocating for an appointed board, but the bill also spelled out a specific selection process and related provisions.
Lingle’s explanation for the veto states that HB2377 “amends the BOE composition and member selection process in a manner that may not ensure the Board will be composed of members who reflect the best interests of the public and who understand the role of setting public education policies.”
The topic of an appointed board will be on the ballot this November despite the veto, Waihe‘e said, referring to a proposed state constitutional amendment asking if there should be an appointed Board of Education. This amendment has already been approved by the Legislature to be put before voters.
If passed, the amendment will bring the issue back to the Legislature.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
