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The state Board of Education members can meet and plan and pass whatever plan or strategy they want, but until they get more parental buy-in, it’ll just be a piece (or book) of paper with absolutely no teeth. The board has tried everything else. It’s increased the evaluation process for teachers on a biannual basis so that they know teachers are able and ready to teach their students.
But when parents decide to take a vacation right after school starts, and their children miss the first couple of weeks of school, the teacher has no choice but to spend extra time (for which they are not compensated) to bring aforementioned students “up to speed.” That’s the fault of parents, not the teacher, not the school, not the pupils.
If parents don’t value the education that is provided, and constantly allow their children to stay home, or take them on neighbor island or mainland jaunts in the middle of a quarter or semester, their child will miss valuable material and fail or score low on standardized tests. Again, not the teacher’s fault (although many will blame them). It’s still the parent’s fault.
Figure out how to change the culture and you will have success.
Robert Gillchrest
High school teacher Kona
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