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Schools panel
wants Hawaiian
studies office

The special office would
administer Hawaiian studies
in public schools

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

A special office would be created to develop and administer Hawaiian studies in public schools under a measure approved by a state Board of Education committee.

The Committee on Special Programs voted yesterday to recommend that the board adopt a policy that requires the Department of Education to establish a Hawaiian Studies and Language Immersion Office with a director and sufficient staff to create curriculum, develop performance assessment tools and help other divisions weave Hawaiian culture into classes.

The proposed policy is similar to a Senate bill that instructs the Department of Education to create an office of Hawaiian language instruction. The bill was slated to be discussed in conference committee today, according to board members.

Several speakers supported the idea of enhancing Hawaiian studies, but some questioned the merger of two entirely different study paths under one roof.

One is Hawaiian studies as part of every public school student's education as mandated in 1978 by amendment of the state Constitution.

The other is the Hawaiian immersion program, in which children choose to attend schools where the curriculum is taught in the Hawaiian language. Immersion classes are held at 16 schools, attended by about 1,600 youngsters.

"Hawaiian studies involves all of our teachers so one of the Department of Education's responsibilities is to see that all teachers are adequately trained," said Roy Benham. He worked for 11 years in the kupuna program through which senior citizens work in classrooms sharing their own experiences to enrich Hawaiiana lessons. He was also one of the group who worked on creating the Hawaiian studies program 20 years ago.

Kaumealani Walk, a teacher and parent of three children in immersion programs, said there's a need for a staff with time to work on the quality of the Hawaiian programs already in operation, to provide research resources and to support school communities as they do their own decision making and curriculum development.

"It needs to be put on the front burner," Walk told the committee. She and others pointed out that the two differing Hawaiian studies paths are already overseen by department educational specialist Puanani Wilhelm.

Alison Ledward, who teaches Hawaiian studies in the Department of Education Windward school for adults, urged the board to keep immersion and schoolwide Hawaiian studies separated. She said she has seen the schoolwide program get drastically downsized, with fewer kupuna being hired and resources for teachers dwindling because of budget restraints.

"Please make sure you set it up for success," Ledward said, "so that down the line, you don't stop supporting us so we flounder on our own."

Kapua Medeiros of Aha Kauleo, the immersion program advisory council, told the committee that the idea of strengthening Hawaiian studies has the support of some legislators. "They tell us, it would help if the program were named in the budget where they can find it."

Committee Chairman Garrett Toguchi said legislators and school Superintendent Paul LeMahieu "are on the same page in terms of language and intent. In case the bill doesn't pass, this is in place."

He said the committee recommendation will be brought to the full board at its June meeting.