Gathering Places
Gathering Places
NO ONE should be surprised that the state's two largest bureaucracies, the Departments of Health and Education (DOH and DOE) have joined forces to create a monster called "Felix." It’s time for radical
change in educationI strongly believe that Hawaii's long neglected special education students and families deserve all the help they can get. But the way the "Felix solution," which is projected to cost $700 million over the next two years, has played out so far leaves me shaking my head:
>> The DOE contracts with a mainland company to recruit certified special education teachers at a cost of $100,000 per teacher.
>> An increasing number of new hired people at all levels, from non-certified special education teachers in RISE, a training and mentoring program to new administrators who lack the training, support, resources and guidance to carry out their jobs. (Do not blame these individuals. They are products of a faulty system.)
>> A "system of care" that has swung so far to one side that it makes more sense to diagnose and certify a child with a medical label and hours of therapy and mental health services sometimes because there are no other school options, services or alternatives.
>> Veteran teachers, administrators, counselors and other school personnel who are burned out as a result of changes implemented without direction or foresight, a ridiculous number of workshops, conferences and meetings and workload increases without added resources.
SINCE WE'RE OUT of magic wands, our only hope is to jump "out of the box." We must step back to take a different approach. For starters:
>> Pass a law or constitutional change that requires the state to spend a minimum of 35 percent of the state budget on public education. That becomes the new starting point, without worrying about what other government agencies need to be cut. Just do it.
>> Pass a law requiring teachers' salaries to rank within the top 10 states in the nation. This should take care of the cost of living adjustment. You want quality, you pay for it.
>> Focus attention on the classroom. Hawaii's Teacher of the Year, Jo Tepper, has said we should give more resources to our regular teachers so they can accommodate students with special needs students within their classrooms. Only then can "mainstream" and "least restrictive environment" function as intended.
>> Treat the problem, not the symptom. Early intervention is best. Strengthen families, cut down on teen pregnancies, expand programs with successful track records.
I saved the best "out of the box" solution for last.
>> State lottery for education with all proceeds going straight to public education. No exceptions, no loopholes, no excuses. To those who oppose gambling, I say: Our public school system is a time bomb in danger of "imploding" if these serious problems are not addressed. That already amounts to a dangerous game of Russian roulette with our children being held hostage.
Matt Nakamura has been a DOE teacher and counselor for 15 years.