Pay more attention to public schools' top students - Hawaii Edi...

We humans are funny. We tend to want that which we don't have. At present, I don't have an iPhone, a laptop PC, nor a luxury car.

[Togashis Right]

Right on Togashi, before seeing your article, I gave up on the HSTA teachers.

But you know, all this talk of altruistic goals comes up short when your Union of Teachers vote to short-change the future, rendering your "feel good" talk valuable to only you.

That Okabe dude better split your HSTA and leave.

Get rid of him, and then we may find your schpeil believable.

Until then Furlough Friday failure means more than your column today.

[bumpercrop]

Brilliant spot on article. It really is the best and the brightest that are getting the short end of the stick. The dumbing down of the education system, not only here but all over the mainland has caused so many of the problems we now have. NCLB has failed miserably, mainstreaming special needs kids has focused too much of the classroom time on the minority, etc. I really don't expect anything to change in the future. If you want a good education you must go to a private school, It will be well worth whatever you have to pay for it. It is your life, and your future the state has stolen from you and you know what? They don't care.

[ohsoshort]

What a refreshing point of view, even though it's one that I have held for very long! It seems our educational system is based on some Puritanical view that the intellectually gifted must make sacrifices for the sake of those without the same gifts so that no one is perceived to be better than the other. It's like a guilt trip/punishment has been placed upon these special kids! This philosophy towards education is already biting us in the a**! No wonder we are losing our global competitive edge!

[Localguy]

bumpercrop wrote:

Brilliant spot on article. It really is the best and the brightest that are getting the short end of the stick. The dumbing down of the education system, not only here but all over the mainland has caused so many of the problems we now have. NCLB has failed miserably, mainstreaming special needs kids has focused too much of the classroom time on the minority, etc. I really don't expect anything to change in the future. If you want a good education you must go to a private school, It will be well worth whatever you have to pay for it. It is your life, and your future the state has stolen from you and you know what? They don't care.

I don't agree with your point about a good education only being available via private schools. I have a son who is a public school graduate. He went to an elite university on the mainland and today is a local attorney. We found the public schools in Hawaii provided a good education, Every Hawaii parent should read U.H. professor Ann Shea Bayer's new book, "Going Against the Grain", about local parents who opted for the public schools.

[bumpercrop]

You seem to be a good parent but I don't think many have the interest that you do. Thanks for caring about your son. You prove to be the exception to the rule.

Localguy wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't agree with your point about a good education only being available via private schools. I have a son who is a public school graduate. He went to an elite university on the mainland and today is a local attorney. We found the public schools in Hawaii provided a good education, Every Hawaii parent should read U.H. professor Ann Shea Bayer's new book, "Going Against the Grain", about local parents who opted for the public schools.

[SUCK IT UP]

Okay Ms. UCLA, we can't all be as gifted as you and your sibs. We all live in the real world. Thank your monny and daddy w/the Lexus.

[OMG]

Yes, Ms. UCLA, please feel free to give all of your precious attention to the gifted students. We are in desparate need of more lawyers,doctors, and bank presidents. You know what they say about smart people and common sense right?

[scott mason]

As long as DOE is not held accountable for their expenditures and as long as we unfairly subsidize marginal children while sacrificing our average and above average children, the public school education will remain status quo. The State should file or stand firm on the expeditures under the Felix act where we recognize the need to nurture the special needs children, but not at the expense of our future leaders. Fair is fair. We should be spending an equal share on each child, regardless of the circumstance. The middle class foots the majority of the tax bill, but their children's education represent a small share of the educational pie..go figure. I hope those with the loud voices actually pay taxes if not....

[average parent]

I'm glad my average child in not in her class. No chance, we know where her heart is.

[geee]

more attention to top students and screw the rest for good laborers. give attention to one group, give attention to all groups.

[Mark Traylor]

Sandra,

Well said, you have captured my exact feelings on public education in Hawaii.

[Ken Conklin]

Bravo, and many thanks to Ms. Togashi for a very important and uplifting commentary.

Academically talented students, with high IQ, should actually be treated as a "special needs" group are are very much in need of special resources and attention just as much as kids with learning disabilities.

We need to recognize that such students hold our future in their hands -- these are our future leaders. We grievously hurt ourselves if we do not help such students achieve their maximum potential.

My only small quarrel with this essay is Ms. Togashi's statement about being "privileged to work with thriving students whose parents are attorneys, bank or utilities company executives or successful journalists." The focus should be on the child, not the parents.

There are many gifted and talented children whose parents are themselves low-income and/or not well educated. I was one of those, and was fortunate to attend public schools in Chicago and its suburbs which had special programs that gave me both the education and the motivation to pursue B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mathematics, the physical sciences, and Philosophy. Without those teachers and programs I could easily have fallen by the wayside.

My father was a traveling salesman, my mother was an inventory clerk who dropped out of high school. They were proud of me and supported my academic success, but they had no clue about my school work or my intellectual and spiritual struggles and insights. Thank God for my teachers and the schools I attended.

[Class issue]

Ken Conklin wrote:

Bravo, and many thanks to Ms. Togashi for a very important and uplifting commentary.
Academically talented students, with high IQ, should actually be treated as a "special needs" .

I agree with your critique, Ken. The writer makes it seem to be class issue when it is not. True academic and creative giftedness occurs in children regardless of class or paychecks. They're born this way, and some are nurtured from a home environment, but others are not and require this nurturing at school. This is why the programs for the gifted are undergoing changes in their identification processes; the policies now require testing to be in languages besides English and there are other biases that exist that are being challenged. A truly gifted child is rare, and yes, these children also deserve to prosper in the public schools.

[Class issue]

If you are a good teacher, you will do well for all of your kids, without relying on funding or special programs to allow both gifted or sped kids to succeed. If there's no money, or no classes on Fridays, then research the curriculum or the pedagogy for yourself and discover ways to make a spectacular 4-day school week. Buy some books that are in the 9th grade reading level for your 2nd grade gifted kid. Or borrow the books from the high school. A great teacher will not let funds or politics affect what she does with the kids in her class. Less grumbling, less politics, less letter-writing and more concentration on the practices IN THE CLASSROOM will do all of Hawaii a favor.

[Termite Palace Fan]

Dear Average Parent,

Why is your child an average student? Could it be that you don't stress to your child the importance of an education? Maybe you should pay more attention to his school work assignments.

Thank you Ms. Togashi

[Class issue]

Togashis Right wrote:

Right on Togashi, before seeing your article, I gave up on the HSTA teachers.
But you know, all this talk of altruistic goals comes up short when your Union of Teachers vote to short-change the future, rendering your "feel good" talk valuable to only you.
That Okabe dude better split your HSTA and leave.
Get rid of him, and then we may find your schpeil believable.
Until then Furlough Friday failure means more than your column today.

You see what I mean? blah blah blah people complaining about "they" or the "others" when what is needed is personal accountability and action. Guess what, teachers didn't vote to shortchange anyone. So many armchair quarterbacks. Volunteer to mentor a gifted child - go into the classroom and be a role model for a gifted child if you're so smart.

[James Petersen]

Two very good examples of support for students with very "special needs" are the South Carolina Governor's Schools for the Arts and for Math and Science.

It shouldn't be necessary for example, to need to send a child who has a profound gift to high schools like the Interlochen Arts Academy.($44K/yr. tuition) We ought to be able to provide for the needs of all of our children; not just those with learning disabilities.

[average parent]

Dear Termite Head,

You are right, he is average now, soon to be above average now that I teach him on friday's.

BTW, I remember you at the stadium. The guy who was selling popcorn, peanuts, and coke. What you doing these days?

[yeah wrong]

average parent wrote:

I'm glad my average child in not in her class. No chance, we know where her heart is.

we're glad your child is not in her class, too. all your child would do is drag down the rest of the class and interfere with their learning.

if you don't care about your child's education, chances are your child won't, either.

[yeah wrong]

OMG wrote:

Yes, Ms. UCLA, please feel free to give all of your precious attention to the gifted students. We are in desparate need of more lawyers,doctors, and bank presidents. You know what they say about smart people and common sense right?

that you are neither?