This reader provides an overview of what is happening in Hawaii. Those of us who live on the East Coast don’t hear much about education developments in Hawaii, so this is fresh information. It sounds like Obama and Duncan have brought all the worst ideas of corporate reform to Hawaii, via Race to the Top. It was Hawaii’s bad luck to “win.” Winning Race to the Top is like winning a Trojan horse that you must bring into your home. It gets to destroy everything and you can only hope to survive all the bad ideas packed inside it. Of course, there is that money that RTTT brings with it, but the “winning” states are bound to spend far more implementing the RTTT “reforms” than the money that it brought.
| HAWAII. (Pop. 1.4 million) Given Hawaii’s relatively small population compared to other states in the US and its small size geographically, one might assume that state income from tourism, development, and a large military presence (bases) would provide a good public school system. That is no longer the case. Recently, our newly elected governor, Neil Abercrombie (D), has admonished the state teachers’ union (HSTA) by not accepting a recent re-vote on a “best and final offer” he presented to the union.Due to poor communication by HSTA to its members regarding what the vote was all about, a first vote was given a strong “No,” as teachers felt they would be giving their bargaining rights away. The union subsequently came back and told the teachers that a “No” vote would be a vote leading to re-negotiation or possible strike litigation.A re-vote was done. The governor’s original offer (he also appoints BOE members) was accepted by a 66% margin this second time round. However, the total voting was only about 25% of those who participated in the first vote. Again, a sign of weak union communication and little solidarity or understanding on the part of the teachers.
The governor has declared the re-vote null, illegal and non-binding. And now with the ambiguity of solidarity expressed by the re-vote, he has the advantage of changing the original offer should he so choose. Because Hawaii received a RTTT award, teachers and staff are now subject to increased evaluation, evaluation by student achievement, possible increases in high stakes testing. Also, poor performing schools (i.e., schools in lower / lowest economic status communities) have been placed in a “Zones of Innovation” status. This provides for an opening of these schools to outside scrutiny which can inevitably lead to what most all other states are facing: school closures, firing of staff, takeovers by private and / or taxpayer funded corporate charters, etc. And, statistics show that it is those schools in higher poverty communities that are prime targets by corporate take over. Given Hawaii’s high density of well funded private and / or religious affiliated schools relative to its small population, the Obama / Duncan declared evaluation and accountability meritocracy delivered via NCLB and RTTT makes pubic schools in Hawaii ripe for privatization in the manner of other locations throughout the U.S.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
For the life of me, I don’t get why after seeing what the trojan horse has to offer, Democratic “leaders” do not opt for something different. Is the simple answer just that it is easier to punt on education since it is such a complex enterprise? Or, is it like the Hawthorne Effect, where newness is embraced and any “difference” is then analyzed as change for the positive? Baffling. . .
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Democratic “leaders” don’t opt for something different because they’re in the “left” back hip pocket instead of the “right” back hip pocket, where the Republicans are, of the fat cats with the money who are pushing this nonsense.
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I feared as much, Duane. So continues my hopeless wish for an U.S. Labor Party.
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Bingo! Watch the most recent Bill Moyers & Company show about “dark money”. http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-dark-money-in-politics/ Basically his guest, Thomas Frank, says our only way out of this inevitable plutocracy is to create a third political party and reinvigorate organized labor that truly represent the people.
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When will Bill Moyers do a show about the corporate takeover of urban education?
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Good question Diane! Let’s start an email lobbying campaign to get him to do that! Here’s a link to his “Contact Us” form (http://billmoyers.com/contact-us/) which states:
“When Bill says, “join the conversation,” he means it. Below, share your show ideas, questions, concerns and recommendations — but please keep your comments brief, to the point, and polite.”
And here’s a link to his Facebook page if anyone wants to make other comments: https://www.facebook.com/moyersandcompany
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The problem, as I see it ,is that the “powers that be” failed to see that professional teachers would not train our young children in career paths for the projected , corporate global workforce (cheap slave labor as seen in China with MIcrosoft –Gates company). See School-to-Work Act. (Please get it and read it, so you will no longer be stumbling in the dark). The “leaders” , included the “leaders” of the unions i. e. NEA and AFT did not include the members who are dedicated professionals and good Americans in their deceptive plan for a good reason, the members would have rejected the plan. Our good “content professional teachers” have rejected their non-educational plan. The heads of the two above unions were in on the plan from the very beginning. I did the research and have the proof, so look it up yourselves. Dont’ take my word, just do your own research that is most probably on the web. They sold out the children and citizens of our country for corporate and media recognition! “Thirty pieces of silver” comes to my mind!
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