Realtors support some school reforms
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer
The Hawai'i Association of Realtors has backed education reform, endorsing a series of proposals to get greater control to school principals.
The Realtors recommended that 90 percent of school budgets be under the control of school principals, a major component of Gov. Linda Lingle's reform package.
The group also supports a new student spending formula that bases school funding on student need instead of school enrollment, a concept favored by both Lingle and Democrats in the Legislature.
Yet, despite a request by Lingle's advisers, the Realtors did not take a position on the governor's main proposal to break up the state Department of Education into seven local school districts with elected boards.
The Realtors instead followed the Hawai'i Business Roundtable, which did not include the governor's school board plans in their blueprint for reform.
"We're not education experts, we're Realtors," said Scott Sherley, the president of the association, in explaining why they did not address local school boards.
But he said Realtors support putting principals on performance-based contracts, providing them with additional training and resources, then freeing them to make the best decisions for their schools.
Laura H. Thielen, a member of the state Board of Education and the governor's education advisory committee, said she is pleased that the Realtors believe that 90 percent of spending decisions should be left to schools.
"That's being very supportive of the governor's position," said Thielen, who asked Realtors this week to endorse Lingle's reform plans.
The issue is emerging as a dividing line between the governor and Democrats, who want to give schools more control over finance but have not agreed to a specific amount. Democrats also want to require new school councils at every school, similar to existing School Community Based Management councils, that would have some authority over a school's budget and curriculum.
Reach Derrick DePledge at depledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
