|
Under the Sun Cynthia Oi |
Politicking in school
reform spells troubleNOT many documentaries keep me on the edge of my seat, but one called "Spellbound" captivated me the way few Hollywood movies have. As suggestive of unworldly spirits as the title is, the film is about, of all things, a spelling bee.
Competition is fascinating no matter the arena, but in this one there are no subjective judgments, no acidic, cruel appraisals by simple British Simons and inarticulate American worshippers of vapid idolatry. You either spell a word correctly or you don't.
The film follows eight children from local and regional contests and countless hours of studying thousands of words all the way to the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Its final minutes are far more thrilling than any speed-chases on the multiplex screen.
The kids in "Spellbound" were as different as can be, diverse in race and income levels, from large and small families, rural and urban areas, public and private schools. Several were children of recent immigrants, a group education experts generally tag as "at risk." Not these. In fact, one teacher in the film declared how delighted she was when immigrants were among her students. Even with language and cultural barriers, their distinct advantage was that they valued education, considering it a gift rather than an entitlement.
The American ideal is to offer education as a birthright, but it is really just an opportunity, a chance to learn. To fulfill the ideal requires work and effort. A good teacher can present well-designed lessons with excellent textbooks in the best school environment money can buy, but unless children are motivated, they will not learn. And motivation originates in large part from parents.
Nearly all the children in "Spellbound" had parents who were active in their schooling. Some were well-to-do, but others were blue-collar or middle-class folks who wanted their kids to have more doors open to them and staunchly believed that education held the key. The immigrant father of one boy spoke with enthusiasm about the better future America offered his family when compared with his native country.
Perhaps this is the kernel. Many of us take for granted the blessing of being born American. We sometimes forget that all we enjoy is hardly the norm in the world. With this comes a tendency to point to others as the reasons why things don't work they way we'd like them to, setting aside the fact that bad situations often are of our own making or inattention.
Parental guidance is recognized as an important element of good education. So are smaller class sizes, well-trained teachers, sufficient textbooks and other learning materials and flexible instructional methods. Unfortunately, the debate about improving education in Hawaii has strayed off-center. More consideration is being placed on structure than on substance. The political battle threatens to obstruct needed changes.
When Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto addressed the state Legislature to outline her ideas for reforming public education, Republicans in the state Legislature criticized their Democratic counterparts for inviting her to speak, saying it was inappropriate and a violation of separation of powers. There was not one word about what they thought of her strategies. The discussion again was about structure, not substance. In any case, you have to wonder about lawmakers who aren't interested in listening to what the person who is in charge of public education has to say about improving public education. It's like ignoring the plumber's advice when you're fixing your faucets.
Politicians may be sincere about public school reform but they are putting their own interests in emerging as the winners in a duel ahead of the goal. Fixing education shouldn't be a competition. To succeed, the effort must look at all solutions. Can state leaders spell cooperation?
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Cynthia Oi has been on the staff of the Star-Bulletin since 1976. She can be reached at: coi@starbulletin.com.