The Sorry State of Education (in Hawaii and maybe a few other places too)

I guess the only thing I could add to what previous commenters have pointed out, is that teachers who CAN'T teach, should be paid twice as much and designated "administrators," which is where all the extra money is going -- to prepare the teachers to prepare to teach.

Learning should be driven by the students -- and not the teachers, who try to make this learning as long and difficult as possible to ensure their own job security -- which is what the Department of Education is solely about anymore.

It's like the health care debate they're now having: it should be driven by the consumer and not the medical, insurance or political interests -- which are lost in these discussions, because it is ONLY about the money -- which of course, they deny that's what they are talking about.

But usually they're not so brazen as to tell you they're not promoting their own self-interest but are the voice of objectivity. Do they really think the people of Hawaii are that poorly educated and stupid?

The fact of the matter is that the only thing a good teacher can teach their students is how to learn on their own -- and not, "NO worries, you just need to learn what we tell you to think. We'll always be here to do your thinking for you." That's what the Department of Education, labor unions and the Democratic Party is for.

That's not an education of any value -- even if you have a Ph.D. in it.

Rightfully, with the aid of modern technology that has transformed every arena of activity and functioning in life, what one needs to know is how to "search" for any answer, as they actually need to know -- and not just learning everything that used to be true as the conventional wisdom -- before one can simply learn what one needs (wants) to know.

In this way, one is "teaching to the test" -- which is practical information and validation, and not tested in the old way of knowing all that can be known and not being able to know the difference -- between what is relevant in any particular situation and what isn't, or learning for it's own, and the teacher's job security.

This function obviously should be done a better way, and not simply as a way to create more ignorance and incompetence in the Islands.

It is the teachers themselves who have made the education system unworkable and a failure.

If these people were smart and had anything of value to teach, the system would be the marvel of society in Hawaii -- and not the root of all its problems, which is first, that one narrow self-interest group has a right to demand that the rest of society put them first at every consideration. That's not even democracy -- let alone an enlightened education.

That's really an indoctrination and not an education -- so why should everybody else be paying for it?

That's the shame and embarrassment of Hawaii (education) and why they've all become professional beggars.