FOCUS
Seeing public education with new eyes

By Lyla Berg and Mildred Sikkema

"A real voyage of discovery consists not of seeing new landscapes, but of seeing things with new eyes."

It is time to stop putting Band-Aids on open sores and commit ourselves to the voyage to improve public education. Time to examine together our attitudes and perceptions about education, schools and students, and struggle together to understand the issues and problems so we can think in new ways about them.

Improving and bringing about change in Hawai'i's public education system will take a commitment from all of us — but the reward will be well worth the effort. Advertiser library photo • Sept. 4, 2002

Over the past six years, the Civic Forum on Public Schools has held annual public forums in the community. We have brought together some 900 people from different islands, including parents, teachers, students, administrators, academics, community and business leaders.

At a separate conference of students last year, youth in grades 10 through 12 suggested what is needed in our schools. Listen to their ideas. Students say they need to have:

• More group activity where everyone is involved with each other — students, teachers and family.
• A voice in governance and in developing their educational program.
• A supportive atmosphere for all. School as a place they can feel proud of, a place they want to be, a place that is not boring and where it's fun to learn.
• Schools where everyone is respected and always encouraged, where students are "encouraged to speak your mind about the lesson."

How can we remake schools for our students? What are the barriers to making the fundamental change implied in the students' statements? Participants in forums sponsored by the Civic Forum on Public Schools concluded and admitted that the overriding barrier is us. This conclusion calls for us to shift being the barrier to being the bridge builders for change.

The voyage to see with new eyes requires each of "us" — as individuals, groups or organizations — to engage together in building the bridges for change. Over the six years, participants identified areas that need action. They suggested:

• Developing a common understanding of the purpose of public education in our society.
• Structuring a system so it promotes learning and school as "a learning 'ohana" — a learning center.
• Shifting authority and responsibility for school policy and decision-making to the school complex and local school-community levels.
• Changing from a prescribed curriculum — a "one size fits all" curriculum that applies to schools statewide — to individualized educational programs developed within each school. Each program's ultimate purpose is to promote lifelong learning for all students.
• That teachers be partners with students in developing educational programs based on a school's statement of objectives.
• That students be partners in school governance, assisting in designing educational programs that include community learning experiences and service learning.
• Early childhood education that promotes development of children's many capabilities so they have an easier transition into kindergarten.
• The community, as a steward of public education, is responsible for developing and implementing a plan for stable financing of public education.

In October, the Civic Forum is sponsoring a daylong summit meeting to propose policy changes in five areas that were identified as the next steps in making essential improvements in our public education system.

These proposals come out of the six forums, and participants will be asked to react, refine and take action. The proposals are:

1. Stable financing: Maintain the present level of state support for education and give a board of education taxing authority to raise additional money and determine how money is used.
2. Educator quality: Teachers and principals must pass a certification program, which prepares teachers to be facilitators of learning and principals with leadership skills.
3. Early childhood education: It should be part of our public education system.
4. School governance and community stewardship: Shift authority and responsibility for policy and decision-making to the school complex and local school-community levels — give the community and schools joint stewardship of our schools.
5. Democracy in our schools and students' voice: Organize our schools as democracies, giving students responsibility as citizens and a voice in governance, as well as in planning their educational program.

We welcome you as a member of our community to come to this summit. We can build the bridges to change and improve our public education system if we have the will to do so. That will goes beyond individual capacity and motivation. It requires political willingness, organizational willingness — and community will power. It calls for everyone to commit beyond self-interest.

When substantive change in our schools occurs, we will see a shift in how school issues and problems are addressed, how engaged our youth are, and how public education can fulfill its purpose for students and society.

The summit of the Civic Forum on Public Schools is the time to take action with new eyes: Oct. 12 at Kapi'olani Community College. Advance registration is required. Please call 373-1269.

Lyla Berg and Mildred Sikkema are members of the Civic Forum on Public Schools board of directors.