Friday, March 29, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Does Central Control of our Schools Produce Bad Policy?
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:46 AM :: 3181 Views :: Education K-12

Does Central Control of our Schools Produce Bad Policy?

by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

While recent media reports have focused on a drop in test scores by Hawaii’s public-school students, little attention has been paid to one of the most important factors influencing educational outcomes: the actual legislative policies that govern the public schools.

According to the Report Card on American Education, 19th ed., published by ALEC (http://alec.org/docs/ReportCard_19_Edition.pdf), Hawaii has earned an overall grade of C- for school policy, down from a grade of C in 2000. 

By category, Hawaii’s current report card for school policy is dismal:

  • Academic Standards: C
  • Homeschool Regulation Burden: C
  • Private School Choice Program: F
  • Policies Governing Teacher Quality: D+
  • Digital Learning: D.

The research also shows that Hawaii is one of the states where the funding demonstrates how little influence the local community has over school policy.  For the most recent year, 97.5% of all funding for Hawaii public schools came from the state and federal government. To serve our children, we cannot hand over control of our schools to legislators and bureaucrats.  As ALEC's research demonstrates, there is a direct line between higher levels of local funding and control over school and better grades on education policy. After all, no one understands what our schools need like the parents and teachers on the ground.

Maybe it’s time to rethink Hawaii’s centrally controlled educational system.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT