Research supports small school districts

The Star-Bulletin's Feb. 19 editorial states that "Gov. Lingle has not connected the dots" to prove that smaller school districts improve student achievement. However, the only evidence offered to the public in counterpoint to the governor's proposal are the opinion of Randy Hitz, dean of the University of Hawaii College of Education, as well as one analyst from the Education Commission of the States, whose research specialty is inclusion of English as a Second Language students in state assessments, not district size analysis.

Hitz states, " ... there is no such body of research on small school districts." His comment is dead wrong. There is research as current as January 2004 -- last month -- validating the governor's proposal to create smaller school districts with their own school boards. (See: http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/414.html). Extensive supporting research can be found in the ERIC database.

Conversely, there is absolutely zero research showing large districts lead to better student achievement. We don't need studies to tell us that. We have firsthand experience with the dismal failure of the Hawaii Department of Education to use $1.9 billion in taxpayer monies to achieve more than bottom-of-the-barrel student results.

Laura Brown
Education policy analyst
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Please revive proposal to split up board

I wonder how many of our legislators have ever lived in an area of our country with local school boards. If they never have, they have never experienced the vibrancy and dedication of ordinary citizen involvement in their schools.

Currently there is a disconnect between a bureaucratic Department of Education and Board of Education and local school parents and community members who care the most about their neighborhood schools.

Legislators, please let the people decide on local school boards. Please pass the governor's plan for local school boards.

Janice Pechauer
Honolulu

Bills give governor too much power

Governor Lingle has submitted education governance bills, House Bill 2331/Senate Bill 2806 and HB2332/SB2807, that would eliminate the elected statewide Board of Education and replace it with an appointed commission. These bills give the governor the final say on the mem- bership of this commission.

These bills also eliminate the state superintendent of education. Is this what people want? I don't think so. Is someone threatened by Superintendent Pat Hamamoto's effectiveness?

These bills must not pass.

Shannon Ajifu
Member
Hawaii Board of Education

'No Child Let Behind' already has failed

In "Isle parents stick with underachieving schools" (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 16), education reporter Susan Essoyan reveals the failure and the fallacy in the No Child Left Behind Act. Her story says that though "46,492 Hawaii students were eligible to transfer, only 147 did so this year." That is strong evidence of near-total failure.

The fallacy is in the claim that the problem of underachieving schools can be solved by "allowing" millions of children throughout America to leave their friends and neighborhoods for distant, unfamiliar schools. Not surprisingly, almost all children reject this "solution." Meanwhile, the under- achieving schools will continue to be underachieving.

Nor will parents want their children to withdraw from nearby schools. Only those who can afford to drive their children to non-local schools will do so. As a result, those children who most need better schools are least likely to get them. It is another low-cost, low-benefit and high-publicity program. It's aimed at getting votes, not helping children.

Jerome G. Manis
Honolulu

Isle caucus goers will make a difference

This year it looks like Hawaii will have a voice in the presidential primaries. With four declared candidates still in the race, Hawaii Democrats have some real choices in tomorrow's caucus. Participation in the process is now more open than ever because people can register for the party the night of the caucuses.

If you'd like to participate, contact the Hawaii Democratic Party at 596-2980, or go on-line to HawaiiDemocrats.org to find the caucus site in your area.

Clay Springer
Kailua

Police station site isn't critical to enforcement

The arguments made by some residents and neighborhood board members in Hawaii Kai and Kaimuki for putting the proposed police station in their respective community are specious. They contend they need a station nearby to ensure a fast response time by officers when trouble occurs ("Police station's move upsets Hawaii Kai," Jan. 31).

Do people think that on-duty police officers are sitting in the police station waiting for trouble calls? No. The officers are in their cars patrolling their beats -- all over the district.

When a trouble call comes in, the dispatcher radios an alert, and the patrolling officers closest to the location respond. So, as far as response time is concerned, it should not be a concern how far away the police station is, or that officers may get stuck in heavy traffic on Kalanianaole Highway.

Your editorial on the same issue ("Fort Ruger is wrong site for police station," Jan. 31) uses the same specious argument.

If access from police stations to the major highways were a critical response time factor, the communities served by the main station downtown would be deeply distressed, as officers would always get stuck in traffic during the morning, lunchtime, and afternoon rush hours.

The real benefit of having a police station in one's neighborhood is that its mere presence is likely to help deter criminal activity in the area.

Roy H. Tsumoto
Kaimuki

Rescue workers had passion for helping

Danny Villiaros and Mandy Shiraki, the rescue workers killed in the Hawaii Air Ambulance crash at Mauna Kea on Jan. 31, both had a passion for saving lives and helping others, despite the safety hazards, terrible pay and looming threat of legal action. They had a positive affect on the lives of countless people every day and gave of themselves selflessly. Let's not forget them.

In a society that immortalizes entertainers, politicians and the wealthy, people like Danny, a paramedic and firefighter, and Mandy, a paramedic, are rarely thanked and are often overlooked. Yet these men derived their joy from making this world a better place. Our rescue workers are the true, unsung heroes and role models in our society. Emergency Medical Services will never forget Danny and Mandy.

Michelle Allen, RN
Kaneohe

Nice weather masks serious problems

The list of Hawaii's problems is long:

-- Speed racers terrorize the roadways, killing themselves and other innocent people.

-- Ice addicts steal from tourists and locals, doing whatever it takes to get another fix.

-- The nation's worst public school system year after year.

-- Astronomical cost of living and taxes.

-- Political gridlock.

-- Powerful unions, old boys and business interests choking economic progress.

-- Stealing from churches, schools, libraries, even ball fields.

-- Neglected roadways littered with potholes, cigarette butts and rubbish.

-- Illegal dump sites polluting the aina.

-- Police force notorious for inaction and abuse.

Oh yeah, but the weather is so nice. I guess that's why they call it "paradise."

William Bryant
Honolulu