"We have a broad coalition of public, private, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating, preserving, and supporting accessible affordable housing for all. Through advocacy, education, and development we should recognize affordable housing as a public resource. Funding, development, and preservation are key issues. We should declare affordable housing a priority for the State of Hawaii."How is the DOE doing? Hawaii is ranked No. 14 on the amount of money spent on each child, yet the latest No Child Left Behind report showed that only three Maui elementary schools can meet the low standards. For grade 4, that means 62 percent can read to the level expected and only 50 percent can do math to the level expected. Grade 10 failed to produce 73 percent reading to the level expected and 34 percent with math skills to the level expected.
In recent rankings of state education systems, Hawaii was No. 42. I am sure it is no coincidence that Hawaii has one of the largest private school systems in the nation per capita.
Our public education system has failed Hawaii's children long enough. The buck-passing needs to stop and the entire governing structure of our education system needs to be reformed.
It is important to note that the Hawaii State Teachers Association has no legal or fiduciary responsibility to protect the students' time in school and they, not parents, negotiated the furloughs with the DOE.
Demand a full audit of the DOE before it is given any budgetary increase.
Ramon K. Madden
Lahaina
