Hawai'i optimistic on public schools

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer

Almost half of Hawai'i's residents are optimistic that public education will get better over the next two years, even though less than a third think schools have improved since the last election, according to a new Honolulu Advertiser Hawai'i Poll.

Some respondents with ties to public schools noted that a focus on meeting academic standards and repair and maintenance projects give the impression that public school quality is on the rise.

"I just see it getting better," said Wai'anae mom Leilani Anderson-Kaisa, whose three children attend Leihoku Elementary.

Anderson-Kaisa, who also is an educational assistant in one of Leihoku's special-education classes, said the federal No Child Left Behind Act has given her school incentive to focus on math, reading and writing. She is impressed with the more rigorous curriculum, which leaves her children with little time for television and has turned her son from a troubled reader into an eager one.

"They're focusing in on the goals and standards and how the children could actually improve on where they are now and where they should be in the future," she said.

The poll of 600 likely voters statewide, taken between Oct. 13 and 18 by Ward Research, showed that 45.2 percent of respondents thought the quality of education has stayed the same over the past two years, while 15.1 percent said it declined. However, 49.3 percent expect improvement over the next two years, with only 6.8 percent predicting the schools will get worse. An additional 34.5 percent think the schools will stay the same.

The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Brian Hallett, 34, a budget analyst for the state Legislature, anticipates continued improvement from schools, which, he pointed out, have seen higher test scores recently. "There was a lot of discussion about whether we were in last place or not," he said. "From what I've seen, we're not."

More money should further assist the public schools, he said. The Legislature earmarked $11.8 million to finance education reforms, which includes money to reduce class size and buy more math books.

Hallett also sees Superintendent Pat Hamamoto as an asset to the school system, and expects her to capably lead the public schools through the education reforms approved by the Legislature last year.

Hamamoto said the poll results were exciting and validated the Department of Education's focus on standards-based education and its efforts to make the targets and benchmarks clearer.

The positive outlook suggests the school system is getting its message across to the public, through community meetings on education reform, newsletters, partnerships with businesses and the military and the school and DOE Web sites, she said.

The education system has done more to listen to and accommodate the requests from community members who want to find out more about the schools, Hamamoto said.

Bien Rosa, 49, a Vietnamese translator who lives in Makiki, likes the physical changes he has seen at Ala Wai Elementary, where his niece attends.

"It is cleaner and the children seem to be happier. The playgrounds are nice and clean and neat," he said. "It just gives the impression it's been improved and I think it will be improved even more."

However, while astronomer Jim Like of the Big Island praised efforts by Waimea Middle School teachers to interest its students in science and Jerome Mook of Maui is happy with the teachers and programs at Waihee Elementary, others are not as pleased with the public schools.

Michael Chock, a retired computer specialist from Kailua, believes positive change will not happen until Hawai'i replaces the statewide Board of Education with seven local school boards, as advocated by Gov. Linda Lingle.

"I just kind of feel that maybe a state-run board of education is not a good answer," he said. "There's no accountability."

Lingle thinks the attention given to education in the previous two years has given residents reason to hope for improvement. However, she said, "I continue to believe until we mandate that 90 percent of every dollar be spent at the school level and we give at least the Neighbor Islands control of their schools, you will not see any significant improvement."

Perry Miles, 57, a retired military maintenance officer who lives in Kapoho on the Big Island, believes the schools won't improve until DOE changes leadership and puts students ahead of its employees.

The only exceptions are the charter schools, which provide a fresh way of educating children, he said. "I see them as a plus," he said.

Kawika Bergau, 18, who graduated from Pahoa High in June, said he thought the quality of education remained the same while he was in high school, but expects it to improve over the next couple of years as Pahoa tries to improve test scores and avoid takeover under No Child Left Behind.

"(When we graduated) they were saying that we were the lucky ones to be leaving because there were going to be massive changes — like a D, which is a passing grade, will be a failing grade and you'll have to maintain Cs in order to pass," he said.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.

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