• School reform vote School reform vote Many people are aware that the state House of Representatives recently voted down the governor’s school-reform package but, unfortunately, not much else was covered. We want the readers of The Garden Island to
• School reform vote
School reform vote
Many people are aware that the state House of Representatives recently voted down the governor’s school-reform package but, unfortunately, not much else was covered. We want the readers of The Garden Island to know that our no votes do not end the discussion on school reform. However, our no votes were critical in narrowing the debate on school reform to really focus on student achievement.
We as members of the House Majority Caucus have our own package of school-reform measures that is moving through the Legislature. The approach embodied in these bills (most notably House Bill 2002, House Draft 1) is quite different from the governor’s proposals. Where the governor’s package starts at the top with the issue of school governance, the approach of Democratic legislators is to start in the schools where educators, parents and students actually make education happen. Simply put, Democrats are focused on the classroom, not the boardroom.
Great students don’t just happen. They succeed because of motivated teachers and supportive parents who make classroom learning exciting and challenging. Today’s schools suffer from an array of problems that have greatly frustrated our teachers, principals, parents and students. Unless these problems are directly addressed, there is little hope of creating a better future for Hawai‘i’s young people. Tackling problems at the school level is critically important because that is where real student achievement and improvements to public education will take place, student by student, school by school, community by community.
So, what are we supporting? Here are some of the major points contained in the Democratic package:
- A student-weighted budgeting process based on three basic principles: 1) resources follow the student; 2) resources are in dollars, not by staff positions; and 3) the allocation of resources varies by the personal characteristics of each individual student;
- A training academy for principals to keep them up to date on educational-management techniques, as principals are the key component in providing the progressive leadership for each school;
- A bonus program to encourage teachers to become national-board certified;
- An elected board at each school with the authority to assist the principal and teachers in defining and meeting their educational goals unique to that school community;
- Greater decision-making authority for school administrators over things they do not control today, such as personnel, budgets, supplies, school construction and maintenance;
- A financial system that assures the money budgeted and authorized for the schools is received by the school;
- The end of micro-management by the governor and Legislature; giving local educators the autonomy to do their jobs and — but just as importantly — holding them accountable for results;
- A statewide school board whose members are elected by and accountable to specific geographic areas of the state, just like legislators. For example, the Kaua‘i board member would be elected solely by Kaua‘i voters, rather than the current system of all Neighbor Island voters voting for the Kaua‘i board member.
The governor’s proposal asked that we demolish the current education structure and launch ourselves into an untried, un-proven experiment in educational governance. By putting emphasis on these major organizational issues over the next two or three years, we were concerned that we would lose focus on the real issues that exist in the classrooms and school campuses throughout our state and enter into an untenable political debate.
In addition, the governor’s proposed seven school boards and seven departments of education would increase bureaucracy, not streamline it. At a time where the national trend is a move from local to centralized school boards to meet the un-funded mandates of No Child Left Behind, costs would definitely go up under the governor’s proposed structure, diverting badly needed resources away from our schools.
Improving student achievement is at the forefront of the House Democrat’s educational agenda. Meaningful change can only happen from a true partnership and ongoing dialogue with key players including the governor, the Legislature, the Board of Education, the Department of Education, students, parents, the community, teachers, principals, and the business community. It cannot be about politics. It must not be about what sounds good or feels good. It must be about what is good; that is, what has the greatest potential to raise student achievement. It must be about putting students first.
We, working in cooperation with Senator Gary Hooser, as your Kaua‘i legislators are working together to put students first.
Rep. Mina Morita, D-East-North Kaua‘i, Rep. Ezra Kanoho, D-East-Central Kaua‘i and Rep. Bertha Kawakami, D-West Kaua‘i & Ni‘ihau
