Public education reform is the topic of the week on Kaua‘i, with three education-related events scheduled for mid-week. The main event is a Board of Education meeting set for Thursday at the Lihue Public Library on Hardy Street. At 7
Public education reform is the topic of the week on Kaua‘i, with three education-related events scheduled for mid-week.
The main event is a Board of Education meeting set for Thursday at the Lihue Public Library on Hardy Street. At 7 p.m. the meeting is scheduled to be opened for input from the public.
Kaua‘i BOE representative Sherwood Hara said a highlight of the discussion will be on a proposed Board of Education Policy on class size. The topic goes before the BOE’s Committee of the Whole on Regular Education, K-12.
State Sen. Gary Hooser plans to meet with state school superintendent Patricia Hamamoto prior to the BOE meeting. Hooser is the vice-chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and worked on Act 51, better known as the “Reinventing Education Act,” which aims at revamping the state’s public school system in the near future.
The Legislative Act approved earlier this year provided over $2 million in funding to hire about 75 full-time teachers statewide. The bill aims at reducing class size from a minimum of 26 to a minimum of 20 in public schools for grades K-3.
The bill was vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, but her veto was overridden by the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
Hooser said seven new teachers have been hired on Kaua‘i as a direct result of Act 51.
“More likely will be added as children return to school and final enrollment figures are known,” he said. “Hanalei, Kekaha, Koloa and Kilauea have gotten new teachers and Wilcox also may be acquiring additional staffing.”
“For the child, this improves their chances of interaction with the teacher and better one-on-one support,” Kauai public school district superintendent Daniel Hamada said. “Parents are assured of reasonable class sizes and schools can focus on the needs of the kids.”
The Kauai‘i District administrator said the goal in having smaller class sizes is to “have higher self-esteem among children, fewer behavior problems in the classroom and better educated students who are truly ready to move up to the next grade.”
Hooser said the new law, which was passed in the 2004 session of the Legislature, requires schools to add another teacher when class sizes reach 26 students at the kindergarten through third grade level.
JoAnn Nakashima of Kalaheo is a retired teacher and principal who served as an aide to the Senate Education Committee when it drafted Act 51. “The committee really worked as a team and I was very impressed that they carefully listened to the testimony provided,” she said.
On Wednesday the Kapa‘a Business Association will sponsor a special meeting set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort.
“Focus on Education” is the topic of the discussion, and the “Reinventing Education Act” is the main item expected to be discussed.
Scheduled to appear at the business association meeting are state School Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto and Kauai‘i public school District Superintendent Daniel Hamada.
Some of the questions to be discussed include:
- What is Act 51, the “Reinventing Education Act”?
- What does it mean to academic standards applied to students and educators?
- What is the fiscal impact to our community?
- What is the Weighted Student Formula Pilot program? How will it change the funding metric for local schools?
- What can the community do to improve the quality of education on Kaua‘i?
- What kinds of collaborative programs exist, or could we consider, to train and retain skilled, educated young people for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities on Kaua‘i?
The talk is to be part of a Kapa‘a Business Association meeting.
Tickets are available for $25 for members of the organization and $35 for non-members. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 651-3273.
Another education meeting is set for Wednesday, at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria, and aims at letting parents, students, teachers and the community know more about the education reform bill.
Chris Cook, Editor, can be reached at mailto:ccook@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 227).
