Tune out the political noise about so-called improvements to Hawaii public schools and the truth can be heard that the reform touted here is actually roundly despised by those directly affected at the bottom.

An independent survey by two retired Hawaii principals found that most of Hawaii’s public school principals are echoing the harsh criticism made earlier by teachers that the reform handed down from above is quite possibly doing far more harm than good.

Last week, this newspaper reported, "The school leaders say their ability to make decisions at the school level has been stymied by ‘top-down’ management by the Department of Education, and that sweeping academic reforms the state pledged for its federal Race to the Top grant have dragged down morale at their schools" ("Principals feel they’re hamstrung, survey finds," Star-Advertiser, May 15).

Teacher responses to a joint survey recently undertaken by the DOE and Hawaii State Teachers Association on the current Educator Effectiveness System (EES) were equally critical.

The obvious had to be stated, apparently, but still might not be heard from above. DOE Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe was quoted as saying feedback from the DOE’s most recent survey "shows that principals believe that the department is improving and that our strategic direction is the right approach."

Really? The new, independent survey was based on responses by 63 percent of the principals of the state’s 255 public schools, and 94 percent of them said teacher evaluations have negatively affected morale.

Responses from 75.5 percent had implementation of Race to the Top reforms, especially the new performance-based evaluation system for teachers, as having harmed their schools. That overwhelming majority also said they lack the needed support and autonomy to act in the best interests of their schools, but hesitate to speak out for fear of retaliation.

During a forum recently on Maui, Alvin Shima, the district superintendent in charge of most of Maui’s schools, told a sizable crowd of angry teachers "We are not the enemy." Who is, then?

If the teachers, the principals and local DOE people are distancing themselves from this system, we have to go to people who have the power to foist an unpopular, inefficient and inequitable boondoggle on the lower echelon, as well as the taxpayers footing the bill.

It may be too easy to single out Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi and her deputies. The superintendent answers to the Hawaii Board of Education, which Gov. Neil Abercrombie purposefully loaded with business executives. Now, on a recent trip here, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held Hawaii up as an example for the nation to follow. Are the people calling the shots really listening?

Even Charlotte Danielson, the creator of what the DOE is using as its basis for observing teachers in their classrooms, has said her methods were never meant for performance-based evaluation. And using it piecemeal, as Hawaii has, could lead to litigation, she has warned. Danielson was ignored. So have been the teachers who have been shouting their dismay, and who already are leaving the profession in disgust.

Now the principals have made themselves clear.

Is anybody listening?