Does your child’s elementary school principal have a master’s degree or doctorate in elementary education? If not, then why not?
Strong, educated leaders at the elementary level are vitally important. As a retired school counselor, I have seen too many secondary-level vice principals sent off to lead elementary schools without having the basic background needed to properly lead and innovate at the elementary level.
Oftentimes, some elementary schools have a strong, experienced teaching staff. This experienced faculty, bit by bit, teach these novice secondary leaders about the unique elementary school experience. It is far better, when new leaders arrive on site, that they have a true educational and elementary experience that demonstrates true leadership and innovation at the elementary level.
Also, too often, once these new principals become properly acclimatized to the elementary culture, they move on to the secondary level, because there is more money to be made in a school with a larger student population.
Jim Frisbie
Waialua
Air National Guard protects our freedoms
On Dec. 7, 1941, at the age of 7, I saw a plane with red circles on the wing, headed toward Diamond Head followed with the sounds of rat-tat-tat-tat.
I caught the tail end of the Korean conflict in 1953 as a U.S. Marine. In later years, after relocating to Massachusetts as a federal employee, I became a citizen soldier, serving for 15 years in the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
These volunteer citizen-soldiers train on weekends and during the summer. Living in the proximity of the base on Sept. 11, 2001, I saw and heard the two F-15s scramble toward the Twin Towers.
The jet sounds we recently heard were from Ohio Air National Guard jets heading home ("Air Force apologizes for waking up Oahu residents with jets," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 27). Would you be just as upset if it was our Hawaii Air National Guard jets returning home early in the morning?
Aole pilikia (no problem). Mahalo, citizen-soldiers of the Ohio Air National Guard, for your service.
Patrick Keli’inuiKapahulu
Use quarantine facility to shelter homeless
The city and state are searching for sites to provide temporary shelter for the homeless.
Has the quarantine facility in Halawa been considered? Presently much of the facility is idle because requirements have changed.
The facility can provide security, utilities, restrooms, shelter and perhaps the use of offices for education and medical services. A kitchen may also be available when not used by the Department of Agriculture.
Security can be provided for people’s belongings as they search for employment and social services.
Users can help to maintain this community facility.
Pets could be accommodated, since this is cited as a problem at other shelters.
This facility has serviced many visitors and residents who have spent hours with their pets.
Many homeless people are accustomed to camping out and this facility meets this criteria and can be utilized at a reasonable cost.
Leonard Leong
Manoa
Provide dumpsters, toilets in Kakaako
With the next "sweep" in Kakaako weeks away, why not provide dumpsters and portable toilets to the homeless encamped there? The dumpsters would have to be emptied regularly, of course, and the toilets cleaned, probably several times a day.
I’d bet a number of homeless people would be willing to clean the toilets if given the tools to do so and reasonable pay. Perhaps there’d be less trash to clear away in the sweep.
Merrill Cutting
Wilhelmina Rise
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