• Response to Sherwood Hara Response to Sherwood Hara By John Hoff In Kaua‘i’s representative to the Board of Education Sherwood Hara’s letter, dated March 15, he states that in the zeal of reforming our school system on a local
• Response to Sherwood Hara
Response to Sherwood Hara
By John Hoff
In Kaua‘i’s representative to the Board of Education Sherwood Hara’s letter, dated March 15, he states that in the zeal of reforming our school system on a local school board basis “it is easy to lose sight of a broader, more-important issue, that of our individual rights in our state and nation.” He goes on to say “We should not give up the right to elect all our education representatives at any level. We should not give up the right to elect someone our community believes can represent them for parents and their children.”
I agree with Mr. Hara on this most important issue. All parents should have the right to vote on the educational representatives at any level. I can live with that concept. I do not feel that appointed personnel always prove to be the best and the brightest. Just look at our present DOE administrative department heads and executive officers.
I also believe that Mr. Hara is correct in believing in the justice and correctness of putting such important issues as education to a vote by the electorate. Especially such a huge and important issue such as the replacing of a failing educational system, “Hawai‘i’s public education” system that “is simply not working as it should. It is, in fact, obsolete.” As Hawai‘i’s school superintendent admitted and reported to a joint session of the legislature in January, “We are failing them (Hawai‘i’s children), the next generation, and that is not acceptable.” In fact, Hawai‘i’s educational system has been failing Hawai‘i’s children for decades, not just the future decades.
My first question to Mr. Hara is this: If the members to the proposed seven local school boards were elected, and not appointed, would Mr. Hara then support the governor’s bill for local school boards? I truly hope an answer is forth coming via Kaua‘i’s daily publication, The Garden Island.
My second question to Mr. Hara is if he believes so deeply about putting educational matters to a vote for the electorate to decide, why then is he not adamant about placing both issues, a highly centralized Dept. of Education vs. a Local School Board program, on the ballot this election for the voters to decide. He appears to have ample confidence that the voters are intelligent enough to pick school board members. Does Mr. Hara share that same confidence in the voters ability to choose the more superior Educational system that is assigned the task of educating our children? Are the parents and grandparents intelligent enough to make that decision? If they are, then why is there so much resistance to placing this issue on the ballot? That is all our new Governor is asking for. Put it on the ballot and let the voters decide! Is that so bad?
I would also like to point out, as Mr. Hara pointed out in his article (last sentence in the above opening paragraph), “We should not give up the right to elect someone our community believes can represent them for parents and their children.” I am afraid that several legislators and other government officials need to be reminded that this is exactly what happened in the 2002 election. The voters of Hawaii elected Governor Lingle. The voters of Hawai‘i were not comfortable with the “old, failing system and it’s representatives” and placed their trust and faith in our new Governor Lingle. The community, the voters, believe that Governor Lingle “can represent them for parents and their children.”
Mr. Hara also states that the State Constitution upholds the premise that: “the people would elect their Board of Education representatives. Education is such an important part of our society that it was determined that right belongs to the people.” If this is true, do not the people also have the right to vote for the educational system they wish to have teach their children?
Mr. Hara states that “For our community to be healthy, we need” the people to vote on Educational issues. Well, why not be healthier and allow us to vote on this local school boards isue versus the “failing” highly centralized Department of Education?
In conclusion of his article, Mr. Hara states, “The appointed education commission takes away your authority as parents. You should have a direct say in your child’s education.” Mr. Hara, I agree with you once again and hope you will stand by your words and demand that the voters of Hawai‘i be allowed to retain their “authority as parents,” as citizens, grandparents, business men and women and “have a direct say in your child’s education.”
It appears we agree on more than what we disagree on. With your deep concern over Hawai‘i’s voters being denied their “individual rights” in having “a direct say in your child’s education,” I suggest you join me and the thousands of other working to have these two most importing educational programs placed on the ballot this election. As you pointed out in your article, “Education is such an important part of our society…
“We should not give up the right to elect someone” or something “our community believes can represent” or serve our “parents and their children.”
One last queston. Does Mr. Hara advocate the election of DOE administrative department heads as well? It would only seem sensible following his deep dedication to the protection of our “individual rights.”
John Hoff is a resident of Lawa‘i
