Do you know if your kids go to Kauai High School, and because of block scheduling....in the month of Nov, they will have only 15 school days (7- A days and 8- B days). If math is on an A day...they will have math only 7 days in the entire month of Nov! December is worse...6 -A days and 5- B days! Tell me how can the teacher teach their subjects in such time, what is worse, how can the kids learn ?!!! For the entire 2nd quarter, they will have only 19- A days and 19- B days!19 days to learn Alg II, or Spanish, or etc..... our poor kids, they are getting "shafted" big time!
Here is a letter to one of the teachers at Kauai High School:
Thank you Mr. ** for your comments and suggestions to help **. If you don't mind, can I ask you a question in general? What are the KHS teacher's plans or directives with working around the furlough days? With less school days to teach, are the teachers revising their curriculum accordingly? It seems like it would be difficult to cover the same amount of material in less days? And it would be unfair to "double up" on the material because of less school days? Ultimately the kids would hurt the most, but what can we as parents expect with respect to the furloughs? Because of "block scheduling", in the month of November the students would have only 7 days of your class. Nov = 7 A days & 8 B days = 15 days of schooling. December is worse with only 6 A days and 5 B days! Because you teach math, it is harder for you, as a teacher to "cram" material into less days....and keep comprehension levels up. I believe you cannot "speed up" learning. I don't mean to "attack" you or put you on the spot, I just wanted to know what changes (if any) we can expect because of furloughs. Thank you for your time.
A Concerned Parent
How can anyone say that the kids are not suffering from the furoughs? Come on! This is pure bulls**t. Let me say this LOUD AND CLEAR:
ReplyDeleteIf any legislator that supported the furloughs, or did nothing to stop it, gets re-elected, the people of this State deserve exactly what they get. I'm sorry but this issue has enraged me. If we don't care enough of our kids, nothing else matters. Nuff said!!!!!
What kind of message is the state sending to students about the importance of education? It's a lot of talk but let's face it...children are not stupid. They know that actions mean more than words...and when you cut education that says loud and clear that their education means nothing to the state government. Why should they care about coming to school or paying attention in class when the people in charge see nothing wrong with stripping their education from them.
ReplyDeleteAt least here on Kauai the schools are trying to do SOMETHING on the furlough days...Dolphin clubs and the like...but I've spoken with teachers who are having an even harder time teaching b/c the kids don't feel like their learning is important.
As Parents we are heavily involved and invested in our children's education...but what about the children who don't have that support at home.
It's an untenable situation...and one that never should have been imposed on our Keiki
My child is a Freshmen at Kauai High school who also have a 504 modification plan do to certain disabilities that he has, and with all that has happened he has fallen behind tremendously and finds it hard to keep up...Why of all places the governor had to cut she would cut the kids education!!! Its not fair and if I knew how to start a rally or knew how to fight this I would...BUT I am only one person many more needs to get involved it is for the benefits of OUR CHILDREN they need OUR (parents) VOICES and through is they need to be heard... UUUUGGGGHHHH this subjuect irritates me so BAD.
ReplyDeleteYes, people wake up...don't vote because we know someone or she/he is our relative or because we need a job. STOP, LOOK 7 LISTEN - what good have they done for the voters and the economy. Connect the dots...what kind of picture do they paint? Positive or negative? SPEAK OUT LOUD and clear. dON'T CONTINUE TO BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE sand WAITing FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Do anything, call, write, protest. Yeah, I know, it doesn't look like it makes a difference. If EVERYONE takes action, I can promise you, it will make a difference. We're all in this together. We made our voices heard by e-mailing all of the legislators and the governor. We continue to spread the word in the community and even e-mail Ohana in the mainland so they can voice their opinions even tho' they don't vote in Hawaii...
ReplyDeleteAiona calls for meeting on Furlough Fridays
ReplyDeleteLt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona is asking representatives of the parties involved in Hawaii's controversial teacher furlough program to meet with him immediately to work out a settlement.
Aiona on Monday sent letters asking for the meeting to state Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto, Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi and Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe.
Aiona is acting governor while Gov. Linda Lingle continues her economic and trade mission in China this week.
He said he wants to pursue possible amendments to a new teacher contract that would allow pay cuts or a shifting of some furlough days to existing non-instructional days.
The contract now requires 17 furlough days this school year, of which three have passed.
Every single politician should be held accountable for the furlough mess we're in. Not one of them stepped up BEFORE the furloughs went into effect. Only now, when the parents and community threw up their arms in protest did they even begin to try to do something about it. When did the governor propose 36 furlough days to the teachers? MONTHS AGO. If it was a bad decision now, it sure as hell was a bad decision then. And let's not let Lingle and her Sidekick Aiona fool anyone with their concerns now. It was Lingle's idea to begin with. To say now that she doesn't support taking school days away from kids is insulting to anyone with half a brain. She's doing this because she can't run again for governor. Aiona is doomed.....
ReplyDelete"Every single politician should be held accountable for the furlough mess we're in. Not one of them stepped up BEFORE the furloughs went into effect. "
ReplyDeleteNot true- our own Gary Hooser supported use of the hurricane fund before the furlougs and even supported, if necessary, a tax hike doing so before last year's lege session, having had the forsight at the time.
Hooser buckled when the tax increase issue surfaced. He is not the leader that we need either as Senator or Lt. Gov. He had his chance to show leadership and blew it!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Looks like Abercrombieʻs rubbing off on him already. Or maybe heʻs too afraid to do anything original anymore because he doesnʻt want to cross lines with that useless Abercrombie.
ReplyDeleteHooser made a BIG mistake aligning with him. Political suicide.
Climb climb climb. Whoops sometimes people slip and fall off ladders you know.
I agree with the previous writer. If it wasn't so serious, it couild be viewed as comical. "Climb, climb, climb oooops, sometimes people slip and fall off of ladders".
ReplyDeleteIt's always just about the individual and how much he/she can gain....never about the PEOPLE they promised to represent.
Anyone feel USED? We do...