Race to Da Top

[a***@hotmail.com]

Good news. Hawaii made it to the second round in The Race to the Top
for education funds from the Federal government.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059850/Most-winners-of-Race-to-the-Top-education-funds-are-in-East.html

As one of the most ethnically diverse states in the union, we deserve
the money, which can't arrive soon enough to eliminate furlough
Fridays. Good job by the DOE and state government. Now, if they could
only do something about video games, our young people could spend more
time studying than playing. Related article from KHON2:

http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/Ewa-Beach-man-sues-video-gaming-company-claiming/x4Y3BlM2eUu0Qex4VlzAjw.cspx

A 24-year old man claims he's addicted to video games:

"According to court documents, Smallwood says he suffered extreme and
serious emotional distress and depression.

Smallwood also says he was left unable to function independently in
such daily activities as getting up, getting dressed, bathing and
communicating with family and friends.

He says NCSoft "never gave any notice or warning of the danger of
psychological dependence or addiction from continued play."

Too late for Mr. Smallwood, but not too late for our children. Cross
your fingers and knock on coconut.

[Jerry Okamura]

What should the goal of the "race" be?

Post by a***@hotmail.com
Good news. Hawaii made it to the second round in The Race to the Top
for education funds from the Federal government.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059850/Most-winners-of-Race-to-the-Top-education-funds-are-in-East.html
As one of the most ethnically diverse states in the union, we deserve
the money, which can't arrive soon enough to eliminate furlough
Fridays. Good job by the DOE and state government. Now, if they could
only do something about video games, our young people could spend more
http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/Ewa-Beach-man-sues-video-gaming-company-claiming/x4Y3BlM2eUu0Qex4VlzAjw.cspx
"According to court documents, Smallwood says he suffered extreme and
serious emotional distress and depression.
Smallwood also says he was left unable to function independently in
such daily activities as getting up, getting dressed, bathing and
communicating with family and friends.
He says NCSoft "never gave any notice or warning of the danger of
psychological dependence or addiction from continued play."
Too late for Mr. Smallwood, but not too late for our children. Cross
your fingers and knock on coconut.

[a***@hotmail.com]

Post by Jerry Okamura
What should the goal of the "race" be?

1. Appreciation of learning, culture, history and knowledge.

2. Acquiring enough skills to solve problems and gain/hold employment
in the modern work world. I tell all my young employees- this is not
like school. You do not have a teacher to spoon feed you answers, or a
fellow student to crib the answers from. Thus, you must be self-
reliant and a quick study. I will mentor you initially, but, at some
point, you must stand on your own. At that point, you can mentor
another fellow employee. This should be your proud legacy.

3. There is some knowledge you cannot gain from a book. These lessons
involve ethics and a willingness to serve society, not just one's own
interests. There are many able and generous politicians in Hawaii.
These men and women have given far more to the state than they could
ever be compensated for. I am sure you will agree that Sen. Daniel
Inouye, and state senator Susan Chun Oaklamd are two such individuals.

4. Live aloha, and know the life you lead is measured by the footsteps
you take alongside your fellow Hawaiians, respecting the land, the
sea, the air, and our state's diverse lifeforms. We are a tiny island,
with beautiful beaches and natural wonders. Let us keep it that way.

[a***@hotmail.com]

Jerry,

I have examined the spreadsheet that lists the 2010 Hawaii State
Assessment test scores:

http://lilinote.k12.hi.us/STATE/COMM/DOEPRESS.NSF/a1d7af052e94dd120a2561f7000a037c/d1e4e3cb85a74dc00a25777d006b7bfe?OpenDocument

Averaging over all schools, except the Olomana school, leads to the
following results:

Math (Meets or exceeds grade level): 48.6%
Reading (Meets or exceeds grade level): 67.42%

Some internet sites question these results (e.g., Civil Beat), but let
them come forth to dispute the calculations. As expected, Maemae
Elementary school, grade 5, did very well, with meet or exceed levels
of 88% (reading) and 68% (math).

Tenth grade testing was a mixed bag. This should be of great concern
to state educators and the government. The conclusion we can draw here
is that a large number of students are not ready for college or the
professional workplace. Other than entrepreneurship, marginal
education is probably the number one reason high tech companies do not
establish a strong presence in Hawaii. This is what the statistics
tell us.

Only 6 out of 61 high schools have a meet/exceed level (Math) of 50%
or higher. If you or someone you know is planning to move to Hawaii,
please make sure you choose a neighborhood that allows your child to
attend William McKinley High, Kalaheo High, Henry J. Kaiser High,
Mililani High, Kalani High, or Education Laboratory NCPCS. The schools
are ranked from low to high. The charter school, Education Lab, is not
a possibility for most people, since the admission policy is
restrictive, and based more on pot luck than any other factor. At
Education Lab, 76% of the students who participated in the 10th grade
test had scores that met or exceeded the grade standard in math. Wow,
that is good.

I do not believe that standardized tests are the ultimate measure of
academic excellence, but in lieu of other metrics, they will have to
suffice. In the upcoming gubernatorial debates, I look forward to
hearing what each candidate has to say about the test results, and
what their plans are for improving performance in the schools.
Honestly, it seems like some of these candidates would be better
suited to a GOOBER-NATORIAL contest. Please remember to vote for me,
if/when I choose to run.