• What WASN’T said at the C.A.R.E. committee meeting What WASN’T said at the C.A.R.E. committee meeting By TERESE BARICH As if No Child Left Behind isn’t demeaning and costly enough, Gov. Lingle’s C.A.R.E. committee is also on a mission
• What WASN’T said at the C.A.R.E. committee meeting
What WASN’T said at the C.A.R.E. committee meeting
By TERESE BARICH
As if No Child Left Behind isn’t demeaning and costly enough, Gov. Lingle’s C.A.R.E. committee is also on a mission to “do something” about Hawai’i’s public education.
The information that her representatives shared at last Wednesday night’s meeting was extremely negative. The audience was repeatedly told that currently, Hawai’i’s students’ unbelievably low test scores are in the same range as Mississippi’s or Georgia’s. (What’s their state spending per student?) Canada’s education system is WAY more effective than anything we’ve got here. (So they listen to their teachers?) One of the governor’s representatives reiterated that the money that has been “thrown” at the DOE has done nothing to improve the quality of education in Hawai’i. (How accurately was it thrown?) The “posse” went on to comment that teachers haven’t taught any better even though their salary has allegedly doubled within the past 15 years. (How many teachers out there are REALLY making $58,000?) In fact, teachers were taunted with a comment that if their salary was “doubled tomorrow, after the initial euphoria passed and you all bought a new car, would you actually feel any better about your job?” (Anyone else like their salary doubled so they could feel better about their job?)
It was disappointing to be patronized by people who are completely and totally unfamiliar with the day to day activities in public school classrooms.
Here’s a top ten list of things NOT heard from the CARE posse at the meeting. Ready? O.K.
Things NOT heard from state reps:
10. “Teachers, sorry we left you hanging during the strike but we could really use your input now.”
9. “Not only are teachers and principals held accountable but parents will be, too.”
8. “School boards, school boards, let’s revamp SCBM and actually allow the schools do business.”
7. “Here are the exact details of how the state will ensure that every school gets a fair and equal amount of money.”
6. “Even though we say we won’t give any more money, we will help with NCLB by making another law that student/teacher ratio is 20:1, effective immediately.”
5. “Gary Hooser is standing by teachers.”
4. “Those of us holding a public office send our children to public schools.”
3. “Here’s a 50 page list of the most recent outstanding achievements made by Hawai’i’s students.”
2. “Each of us on the CARE committee has taken and passed the substitute teacher course to prepare ourselves to walk the walk.”
And the Number One comment NOT heard at the CARE meeting:
1. “Every month all of us state legislators go to see what’s happening in public schools by spending one entire day in a classroom.”
With continued support for public education..
Terese Barich is a Puhi resident.
