James K. Scott of Punahou School exposes the struggle to provide for equitable education in the 21st century (“New paradigm for education puts children at the center of learning,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 29).
Public school teachers are still beholden to the questionable endeavors of the No Child Left Behind era, including the one-size-fits-all Common Core state standards and the mandated tests and curricula that have accompanied them.
We public school teachers are weary because we must find ways to update and improve our lessons despite the constant barrage of attacks on our profession.
Because of mandated curricula, our academic freedom to make decisions using our professional expertise, experience and training is compromised.
However, there is hope. We welcome input from everyone as we venture forward to take full advantage of the flexibility in the new federal law. Gov. David Ige’s July 9 Education Summit provides that opportunity, and our island community must come together for the keiki to demand public schools that make private schools unnecessary.
Mireille Ellsworth
Hilo
Rail-bus hybrid would serve residents best
Ending rail at Middle Street would not only be cheaper, completed sooner and do less damage to our city’s appearance, it would produce better results for commuters, who could transfer to express buses going directly to many more destinations than the planned rail line.
The current rail plan with its narrow, linear corridor would require most users to either walk a long way or take a local bus to their destination, and has no provision for any modern bus stations.
We can come up with a transit solution that will satisfy pro- and anti-rail sentiments by creating an efficient rail-bus hybrid system.
This approach would provide a more effective transportation solution and also bring us together to help heal some of the social conflicts and divisions that have developed during this prolonged, disruptive political battle, which has generated huge public distrust of our government.
Dennis Callan
Punchbowl
Build up West Oahu to help relieve traffic
Hooray to the City Council for putting a limit on the amount to be spent on rail and not making the taxpayers keep putting up more money (“Council votes to cut rail funds,” Star-Advertiser, June 2).
The whole problem with Oahu is we have housing being developed in West Oahu and education in Manoa.
The West Oahu campus is where the main campus of the University of Hawaii should be built, with its own stadium. All government agencies — city, state and federal — should be put on the Aloha Stadium land and rail stop there.
Then the people going east of Aloha Stadium would be mostly hotel workers, eliminating much of the traffic. Kakaako should have been for affordable housing for the hotel workers and not the foreign investors and the rich.
Ernie K. Itoga
Waialae Iki
Kahuku wind project has never been secret
I was puzzled when I read the story on the wind project in Kahuku (“Kahuku wind farm draws concerns over health and property impacts,” Star-Advertiser, May 26).
I was surprised anyone would claim the project has been kept secret, since it’s been discussed and debated for the past three years at 18 public meetings in and around Kahuku, as well as at the Koolauloa Neighborhood Board. These meetings covered all aspects of the project, including health and safety issues.
We listened carefully to the community’s concerns and made more than a half-dozen major project design changes in response, including reducing the number of proposed turbines, from 13 three years ago to nine now; and it will probably be eight, thanks to improved turbine technology.
It’s one thing to oppose the project, but it’s not right to say people didn’t have a chance to learn about it and weigh in.
Michael Cutbirth
Manager, Champlin Hawaii Wind Holdings, LLC
Unruly panhandlers will deter tourists
On our walk down Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki recently, my wife was approached by a homeless man asking for money.
I politely told him if he needed money I had seen several shops with help-wanted signs in their windows and maybe he should go apply for a job.
Wrong answer as far as he was concerned. He proceeded to call me every name imaginable and ended with “Go home you #%?!*#% tourists. We don’t want you here.”
I have seen and heard a lot having lived in Waikiki for the past 11 years so it really didn’t come as a shock to me or my wife.
I can’t say the same for the tourists who were around and witnessed the confrontation. If I were ever on holiday and as a tourist were to be subject to such an encounter, I can say I would never return to that destination.
Tom Richardson
Waikiki
FROM THE FORUM
“Isle Democrats rally for unity, pick new leader” Star-Advertiser, May 30:
>> Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of the old guard. And yet, we must always be aware of the sage’s advice: “Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss.”
>> This is similar to the Abercrombie-Schatz departure from the old Democratic guard. Tim Vandeveer is an environmentalist who never saw a development project he liked.
>> Establishment folks have been put on notice. Change is here and will continue to happen. It may not happen overnight, but the curtain on old-school Hawaii politics is beginning to be pulled back.
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“State fines hotel for fireworks show” Star-Advertiser,May 30:
>> The fine should have been much higher — $5,000 at least. Give these hotel resorts an inch and they’ll take the whole island.
>> The subcontractor should have known that it is state land and made arrangements to get the permit. Surely the hotel knows that as well.
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“HPD officer honored for fixing problems” Star-Advertiser, May 31:
>> Wonderful, refreshing story. Respect to Sgt. Barry Tong.
>> It’s good that HPD encourages and promotes this type of thinking outside of the box in order to fix the problems of a bureaucratic system.
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“Public schools to provide free meals over summer” Star-Advertiser, May 31:
>> Now our schools are welfare agencies? This is crossing the line. We are taking away all motivation from people to support themselves and their own children.
>> If you read really carefully, you will discover that the money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The kids are not guilty. Feeding them helps us all.
>> And where does the Department of Agriculture get the money?
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“Jimmy Borges leaves a legacy of music — and aloha” Star-Advertiser, June 1:
>> One of the last of the “old school” talents. RIP. He lived more in 80 years than most of us would in 200.
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“Pro Bowl bids aloha to Hawaii” Star-Advertiser, June 1:
>> Good riddance.
>> Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie must be happy.
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“How much will losing Pro Bowl hurt tourism?”
Star-Advertiser, June 1:
>> Hawaii lost the game because it could not anticipate the traffic problem and messed it up last year. The game was a fake game anyway; nobody played hard so they would not get hurt.
>> Honestly, I think the Pro Bowl needs Hawaii more than Hawaii needs the Pro Bowl.
>> We should run a half-time ad saying, “Aren’t you glad to be in Florida?” Then show picturesque views of Hawaii. And end with, “Wait, this is Hawaii!”
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“Council votes to cut rail funds” Star-Advertiser, June 2:
>> It is a step in the right direction but a very small one.
>> A day late — and millions of dollars short.
>> The article mentions a proviso, “pushed by Councilman Trevor Ozawa, assigning $12 million for a study examining planned route extensions to downtown Kapolei and the University of Hawaii-Manoa.” Really? Spend $12 million more on studies? Ozawa needs to be voted out of office.
>> Let’s extend the rail to UH-Manoa! Let’s extend the rail to Ko Olina! Let’s build a rail spur into Waikiki! Let’s build a rail spur to Mililani!
>> Don’t forget Kauai and the Marshall Islands!
>> These budget cuts are window dressing for public consumption based on the Council mentality that dictates that they “do something,” even if it’s wrong. These cuts will come back to haunt the project. Only Councilman Brandon Elefante has enough sense to vote against this nonsense. And, yes, the rail should extend to UHM and the heart of Kapolei.
>> That was the promise and the justification for building it. Whatever happened to that?
