LACK OF CURRICULUM IS ELEPHANT IN ROOM

In a recent "Voices of Educators" commentary (Focus, Nov. 2) Hawai'i Educational Policy Center's Donald B. Young stated "Hawai'i has been at the forefront of standards-based education for more than 15 years"; and yet fully two-thirds of Hawai'i DOE public schools failed to meet their annual yearly progress scoring targets on the most recent round of "assessment" testing.
Perhaps that grotesque failure might have something to do with the steadfast refusal of DOE to establish a common core academic curriculum for any subject at any grade level, a curriculum to which these now-meaningless, one-size-fits-all "assessment" tests might otherwise be aligned. As things now stand, when the tardy bell rings and classroom doors close in somewhat more than 250 DOE schools across the state, the "curriculum" is whatever happens to happen next.
And isn't it thrilling that in almost 850 words, this "Educator Voice" was scrupulously careful to avoid any mention of "curriculum?"
One simply must admire the effort it cost Mr. Young to achieve this soaring level of pretense.

thomas e. stuart | Public school teacher, Kapa'au, Hawai'i

FURLOUGHS

GATES FOUNDATION OFFER ONE TO SEIZE

Primary and secondary education in Hawaii is dismal. Hawaii is near the top of states on spending per student, yet one of the lowest in quality of education. The 17 furlough days are creating the shortest school year in the nation. As in other countries with good educational systems, we need more learning time, not less.

The good news? Hawaii has an unprecedented opportunity to fix this problem: Upgrade our educational system, better educate our kids, prepare them for their and our future, and put our teachers back to work.

How? Funding from the federal stimulus program could be used to extend learning time and enhance instruction. The Gates Foundation is offering $250,000 apiece to help states apply for the stimulus funds as long as the states go along with the foundation's researched approach to improving our schools.

Let's take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to upgrade Hawaii's schools and to prepare our kids and our country for the 21st century.

Susan bradford | Kíhei, Maui

ENDING FURLOUGHS WON'T FIX SCHOOLS

Our schools are rated as some of the worst in the nation. So as all of the entities in the state start looking at options to fund and "reduce" the teacher furloughs, to include a special session of the Legislature that will cost us money, raising my taxes, raiding the rainy-day fund and raiding the hurricane fund, I have only two questions: Will canceling the furloughs and adding the days back actually improve the scores at the schools, and will it correct the mediocre education that they are receiving now?

If the answers are no (which I believe they are), then I propose that we don't throw any more money, regardless where it comes from, down the DOE drain this year.

I'm sorry to say that having these days back will not matter much for the students based on the quality of education that they have been receiving.

I believe that the state, DOE, BOE and the Legislature should start working now to figure out how to fully fund and provide a quality education for the next school year, even if that means completely overhauling the DOE and BOE. If they can do that, then I'm willing to pay more taxes if that is what it takes to fix our schools.

larry dove | Waipahu

GLOBAL WARMING

COMMENTARY FULL OF ABERRANT DATA

In his opinion piece on global warming, Bob McDermott offers several logical failings to justify his view that climate change is not occurring before resorting to a religious statement (only God can change climate) and a political smear rendering irrelevant his pseudo-scientific points.

Svante Arrhenius, a physicist and Nobel laureate, observed the temperature-carbon dioxide connection as early as 1896. The causal relationship has been validated repeatedly since then.

It is true, as McDermott states, that there are phenomena that humans cannot control. However, it is patently false that we have not experienced significant shifts in temperature.

For McDermott to base his opinion on the fact that in one year the U.S. experienced the 34th coolest period on record (hardly a convincing piece of data) demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of global climate change. In fact, some portions of the Earth will warm while others will cool. Some will become wetter and others drier.

And, as anyone who follows other trends (e.g., stock market) knows, there are short-term fluctuations that must not be confused with long-term trends.

In that sense, McDermott resembles a "day trader" in aberrant data, rather than a long-term investor in scientific knowledge and understanding.

Christopher p. dunn, ph.d. | Honolulu

BIG PICTURE SHOWS WE ARE IN TROUBLE

Bob McDermott's column, "Global-warming agenda ignores scientific facts" (Nov. 2) began with some real data, namely this summer's temperatures, then claimed that we shouldn't be concerned about global warming.

Readers should look at the data cited by McDermott. Start at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html. From there, you select "National" and then choose "Summer (Jun-Aug)" as the period to be displayed.

The graph shows not only that the summer of 2009 has been cool but also that the long-term trend in temperatures has been upward. McDermott has focused on weather and ignored the climate. His fact (singular) is correct but his thinking is wrong because he's chosen to ignore the facts (plural).

Climate pertains to long-term trends and patterns, rather than what's happening at any given moment. This summer had relatively cool weather.

There have also been dramatic, long-term changes in climate, from ice ages to times when the planet has been practically ice-free and sea level has stood 300 feet above present shorelines.

To detect changes in climate, we have to look at long-term signals, like the trend line shown on the Climate Data Center's graph or more direct evidence like retreating glaciers and melting ice caps.

Those indicators show that we are already in serious trouble.

The evidence that present changes in climate are due to human activity, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels, is compelling. Action is overdue.

john hayes | Scientist emeritus, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution