Event organizers expected a crowd, but Wednesday night’s town hall forum on public education was a full house.
"We have a new Board of Education, new coalitions of people emerging from the time of furloughs," said Maya Soetoro-Ng, co-founder of ‘Our Public School’.
The meeting spear-headed by Soetoro-Ng was aimed at discussing not what’s wrong with Hawaii’s school system but what’s being done to move it in the right direction.
"Children rise to your expectations, if you expect much of them they will rise to that challenge," said Chris Sorensen, University of Hawaii College of Education Dean.
"There’s so many initiatives, race to the top is #1 to make sure our students get a good education," said Charlene Cuaresma, Board of Education member.
Prior BOE members were forced to focus on ways of saving money – with an emphasis on closing or consolidating schools. An issue some newly appointed BOE members say shouldn’t be the top priority.
"We’re not into micro-managing, we want to make sure the schools get what they need," says Cuaresma.
"We’re not concentrating on closing anything, were concentrating on opening childrens’ minds up," says Governor Neil Abercrombie.
The town hall forum comes after lawmakers voted to pass a bill that would force the state to delay implementation of a law lengthening Hawaii’s school day – in some part because it would require additional funding.
"Of course more school days are better, but we have to pay for it, so that’s why we are very open minded," said Cuaresma.
The measure is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
"Whether it’s 180 days, whether it’s a particular instructional time all that will be worked out in the course of a curriculum and orientation by the Board and this administration on the childrens’ behalf. I’ll take a look at whatever legislation comes," said Governor Abercrombie.
The town hall was one of 15 forums held across the country aimed at getting everyone involved in education on a local level.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
