IT was an eloquent, two-page letter from the principal of a public school in Hawaii, and it was a doozy. The vision of her bamming away at the keyboard of her computer, with black smoke wafting out of her ears as she composed her tirade, was clearly imaginable. Yet this was no ordinary venting. Forget cemeteries;
support the schoolsUsually, the media get blasted for dispensing only negative coverage about the schools. Fights, drug busts, teen-age pregnancies and poor SAT scores seem to dominate the headlines and airwaves.
But according to this principal (who asked to remain anonymous, fearing retribution by those paper-pushing, stapler-throwing bureaucrats at the Department of Education), local journalists aren't doing a good job of relating how the public schools are underfunded.
"We get plenty of pictures or mentions of positive happenings, and certainly when there is a problem you folks often have the story before we do. But the average citizen really has no idea what goes on in the schools, day after day. Perhaps they don't care," she wrote.
"But some out there might have their perspective altered if they were given more to base their opinions on than what is currently available. The media shape opinion by what is selected for printing or airing.
"Have you ever considered having a reporter spend an entire week in a school? It would take at least that long to get a sense of all that occurs. It seems as though the issue of public education ought to be of concern to the average citizen. It may be, though, that most don't want to be confused by the facts.
"As this legislative session draws to a close, we are once again threatened with millions of dollars in budget cuts that will decimate many essential programs, and force us farther behind in efforts to attain equity with even average public schools on the mainland.
"Public school educators are made to feel greedy for asking to maintain programs that are working for students. We are told that throwing money at a problem (we are reduced to a problem) never helps.
"I have yet to hear someone accuse our fine private schools of throwing money, yet they spend thousands more per pupil than the state. What is especially galling is that we are constantly subjected to the wisdom of renowned private school administrators, who feel they can tell us how to do better. They are quick, however, to toss us all their rejects who we must endure daily.
"One fact that we all must face, however, is that public schools are not a high public priority. We would be stunned if any group displayed as much passion about our schools as is exhibited on behalf of the issues raised by the advocates and opponents of the (same-sex) marriage amendment, Hawaiian rights, auto insurance and even optometrists."
AND don't forget last week's hot issue of the moment: the red paint graffiti-fest at several Oahu cemeteries, including Punchbowl. Remember the initial community outcry, the call to arms from local and national government officials, and the generous offers of reward? This hulabaloo is still raging.
Imagine if all of the people who volunteered to clean up, called radio stations to moan and fingerpoint at the suspected culprits, and who visited the graveyards for a first-hand look at the mess, were motivated instead to improve the public school system in Hawaii. There's a novel idea: obsessing over the living instead of the dead.
It certainly would surprise at least one public school principal.