We cannot fail our children any longer

The educational system in Hawai'i survived the school reform battle of the 2004 Legislature and is now suffering from partisan politics in the race for the Board of Education.

It is a tough race, and the selection list of qualified/unqualified, well-known/unknown candidates is long. Names are being tossed around, endorsements are being sought, and lots of babies are being kissed and hands shaken. But what does it all really mean to our students in overheated, overcrowded classrooms trying to learn from outdated textbooks? Or to our underpaid, overworked teachers who must use their personal funds for supplies and books while the DOE has an almost $2 billion budget?

I hope that Act 51 will begin to implement long-needed changes in the system. The weighted student formula will bring greater funding equity to schools. Parents will get more involved when every school has a parent community networking coordinator and the school/community-based management process will become revitalized with more funds.

But school reform has just begun. The challenges still remain.

The candidates understand that children who are well educated will have the self-esteem and courage to live up to their full potential. We know that literacy in reading and math is critical. We recognize that learning begins in the home and education is a value that must be honored. And finally, we know the children of Hawai'i are intelligent, capable and beautiful and we cannot fail them any longer.

Where's the slander by museum staffers?

I am disgusted to hear that Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei has had an attorney submit a letter on its behalf to several staff members at Bishop Museum, telling them that they should stop "slandering" the hui by accusing them of mishandling the Kanapu Cave artifacts that have recently gone missing.

I have read all of the articles about this incident, and nowhere do I see anyone from the museum accusing the hui of any such mishandling.

In fact, nobody, in the museum or outside the museum, has publicly accused the hui of any such thing, as far as I can see.

Once again, Hui Malama is using its "bully" tactics to assert itself in a way that is offensive and downright mean. It is bad enough that these objects were stolen, but to hear that the hui is acting in this way is totally reprehensible.

It appears to me that the hui did everything in its power to hide the objects in a secure manner. The fact that this site was desecrated, despite these precautions, is strong evidence that all such burial sites are at risk when the black-market price for rare artifacts is so high.

I hope the thieves are captured and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

HMSA should keep its financial reserves

It would be most imprudent for the state insurance commissioner to pare down the financial reserves built up by HMSA over decades. This safety net is critical for the long-term stability of HMSA as well as providing support in case of catastrophic emergencies.

The commissioner need only look to New Jersey. Some years ago, the New Jersey Legislature decided to raid its major insurer's reserves, with the end result being the carrier ended up in bankruptcy, leaving the citizens without adequate coverage.

The state's responsibility is to protect financial integrity of all health insurers, not be concerned with what could be a "manini" rebate to the policyholders.

Teacher shortage? Take another look

Regarding your Aug. 26 article about the teacher shortage in Hawai'i: Our daughter (Punahou grad) returned in May from Indiana University, where she had graduated with a bachelor's in elementary education.

Prior to graduating, she had taken the Praxis exam and was licensed in Indiana. After applying with the DOE in Hawai'i, she waited all summer to be called for an interview. When she inquired, she was told, "You are swimming in a sea of applicants."

Further, she found that with an out-of-state teacher's license, she was considered a priority-3 applicant, almost sure not to be called for job interviews. Now we hear that the DOE is spending big bucks looking on the Mainland for qualified teachers. The article states that seven out of 10 new teachers had no experience. Duh! That's why they are new teachers!

I can only speak for my daughter, but what she may lack in experience, she makes up in energy, enthusiasm and love for teaching our keiki. There is much overhauling to be done at the DOE. Where can we find the qualified experts to do what's necessary?

The fog of war indeed does skew perception

I feel the need to respond to Karen Spears Zacharias and her Aug. 26 commentary "When truth dies in the heat of Viet battle."

Karen took it upon herself to investigate the circumstances surrounding her father's death in Vietnam in 1966 by tracking down and interviewing several soldiers who were there with him. She described her findings as convoluted, with different people having very different recollections of what actually happened, but nevertheless concluded that her father served honorably, for which she remains proud. I applaud Karen's efforts and her summary remarks that "Kerry went. He served. Lucky for him he got to come home and raise his daughters."

I, too, served in Vietnam with the Army Rangers and was wounded in action. Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to reunite with some of the men I served with in Vietnam, some who were with and beside me when I was injured. In the course of sharing memories, I've been floored by how their versions of what happened that day differ from what I remember.

State must support preschools

We are writing to thank Kahea Soberano, who reminds us that so many of Hawai'i's young parents struggle each day to balance what's right for their child with the cost of quality early childhood programs (Advertiser Aug. 4). For parents like Kahea, having two small children often means spending more on early childhood education and care than housing or college.

Juggling work and little children, these recent parents face difficult choices: Can they absorb the cost of a high-quality preschool program, or potentially compromise their child's educational and social development with cheaper care that may be of lower quality?

This very real choice confronts parents who make too much to qualify for assistance, and too little to do more than break even. No question, helping these parents afford quality preschool is a public responsibility.

The nature of both the family and the workplace has changed; two-income households are often necessary, and many jobs are no longer structured around standard time shifts. Furthermore, school reform has changed the nature of kindergarten, making it intensely academic.

Parents rely on quality preschools in order to stay in the workforce and ensure their child receives adequate preparation for success in school.

And yet, the state budget has not adjusted to meet these new realities. Hawai'i's child-care assistance program, Open Doors, has remained flat for over a decade and serves a mere 7 percent of the eligible population. Many states like Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, Florida and New Jersey have committed to universally available preschool for all. Likewise, investing state resources in our youngest keiki will generate enormous returns by helping parents work and children learn.

Dr. James Heckman, a Nobel laureate economist, estimates that every $1 invested in quality preschool returns over $7 in foregone welfare, remediation and crime costs.

Increased resources should be tied to high standards (which we have) and accountability (which we will soon have). Preschool programs that meet these standards will be able to reserve spaces for children whose parents, like Kahea, struggle to afford the true cost of services. Public polling of Hawai'i's citizens shows extraordinary support; 76 percent of residents believe the state has a responsibility to ensure parents can afford quality preschool for their keiki.

Learning does not begin at kindergarten, nor does it end at 12th grade. Supporting parents struggling to do what's right must be our society's highest priority. The future of children is not a partisan issue and requires strong leadership from the business community, Legislature and governor's office. Young children, like Kahea's, are born ready to learn — we all stand to lose if their promise goes unfulfilled.