Boon or boondoggle? That’s the question as Hawaii enters the uncertain arena of charter schools. Scheduled to open this fall on the Big Island are the first three of the state’s newfangled public schools that are created by parents and
Boon or boondoggle? That’s the question as Hawaii enters the uncertain arena of charter schools.
Scheduled to open this fall on the Big Island are the first three of the state’s newfangled public schools that are created by parents and teachers and operate without the same state control that applies to traditional public education. Proponents of that approach say it’s more learning-centered and can produce a better brand of students.
On the other hand, critics—including the American Federation of Teachers—claim charter schools on the U.S. mainland, of which there are more than 1,100, fail to boost student and leave special-needs and financially underprivileged children out of the loop.
But Hawaii thinks it can do better than that. With deficiencies in its classrooms and problems hanging onto teachers who union officials say are being drawn away by higher wages and better working conditions, officials here are willing to take a chance on something different. The state Department of Education believes the so-called New Century schools have learned from the mistakes of their mainland predecessors. In addition, the Hawaiian charter movement will be open to all students, has the backing of state teachers union officials, and the schools will be subject to closure if they don’t meet state standards.
Like all experiments, the results of charter schools could be groundbreaking. Let’s see what happens.
