The following is the continuation of last Sunday’s election tab, featuring responses to questions sent out to candidates for the Hawai’i Board of Education by the League Of Women Voters. Current Kaua’i board member Mitsugi Nakashima and challenger Sherwood Hara
The following is the continuation of last Sunday’s election tab, featuring
responses to questions sent out to candidates for the Hawai’i Board of
Education by the League Of Women Voters.
Current Kaua’i board member
Mitsugi Nakashima and challenger Sherwood Hara were included in last week’s
article, but the following questions were posed to the remaining five
candidates, because candidates across the state are voted on, regardless of
district:
1) What has been your involvement in public education?
2)
What would you expect to be able to contribute as a Board of Education
member?
3) What areas of school improvement strike you as most important in
Hawaii today?
4) What do you see as the major current obstacles to school
improvement?
5) Hawaii has a number of interest groups which function as
“veto groups” opposing school improvement proposals. What would you do in the
event that a school improvement proposal you thought important was unalterably
opposed by one of these groups?
6) How familiar are you with the way in
which Hawaii schools are funded? How might the funding problems be
addressed?
7) How serious do you take the school dropout situation to
be?
8) What is the purpose of education? Of public education?
9) In
Hawaii, there is a strong correlation between ethnic background and school
success. What sort of education policy do you find appropriate for such a
situation?
10) How would you improve the State’s public library
system?
Herbert Watanabe
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired,
Department of Education, 39 years
Education: Graduate of Lanai High School;
B.S. Degree, Industrial Education, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout; M.S. Degree,
Vocational Education, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout; Graduate Studies at Stanford
University, Indiana University, Univ. of California-Berkeley, Univ. of
Hawaii-Manoa
1) I have served as a secondary school teacher (gr. 7-12),
post high technical school teacher, Vice Principal (1 year), established a
vocational school at the Hawaii State Prison, served as principal of a post
high technical school for two years, and a District Administrator of Business
and Facilities for 281/2 years. I was elected to the State Board of Education
in 1966 and currently serving my second year as second vice chairman of the
Board.
2) Having had 391/2 years of tenure with the Department of
Education, and with 38 years of experience as a District Business and
Facilities Specialist, I will be able to contribute a great deal on matters on
business, budgeting expenditures, contracts, personnel administration,
purchasing, curriculum, administrator training, capital improvement budgeting
and planning, land matters, school safety, food services, student
transportation, hazardous materials and school inspection.
3) To enhance
the standardization of the curriculum and performance standards throughout the
system; the development and implementation of a systemic assessment of
standards and performance, the continuing emphasis in promoting literacy,
especially in the early grades (K-3).
4) So much of the system is governed
by the ‘numbers’ concept. Funds are generally allotted by formula. Staff
personnel are determined by student — teacher ratio; personnel such as vice
principal, counselors, aides, clerical and service personnel are relegated
based on numbers. Funding and personnel allocation based on identified needs
such (unique programs), socio economic factors, (achievement results) would be
beneficial.
5) I would listen, receive comments and suggestions of the
opposition groups, but make decisions within the bounds of constitutional
statutory and administrative rule authority and provision that would be in the
best interests and welfare of the students and uphold the trust of the general
citizenry and stakeholders of public education.
6) I have been directly
involved with budgeting, allocation of funds, execution of expenditures in the
Department of Education Hawaii District public schools as a business and
facilities specialist for 28 and1/2 years. I am intimately familiar with the
budget preparation and execution process. The redirecting of funds and full
control of budget execution at the school level provides schools with the
responsibilities of self control and self determination and to address their
own needs. It is more effective when there is full involvement of the School
Community Based Management Team.
7) The rate of dropout has dropped to
some extent, although nearly 10 percent of any 9th grade group fails to
complete high school. This relates to nearly 1000 students annually or 10,000
in ten years. Viewing statistics in this fashion, the rate of dropout is
serious. The enrollment of more than 13,000 in adult-community school programs
seeking a high school diploma or equivalent attests to the need for literacy to
succeed in the work world. Alternative educational opportunities are vital to
enable dropouts to gain literacy.
8) The purpose of education is to instill
knowledge in all students which will equip them to become productive
individuals in society. Public education is a system to provide opportunities
for intellectual experiences and growth for all students regardless of race,
ethnicity, creed, or individual differences.
9) A policy to provide funding
and personnel support beyond the normal or standard allocation may
