What qualifies you to be a Board of Education member?

Member of DOE Safe Schools Community Advisory Committee; participate at BOE & Committee meetings; and advocate for youth. I passionately believe that providing every child a quality education is the wisest investment we can make toward our community’s future success. (40)

What is the most pressing issue facing Hawaii schools and what would you do about it?

Insufficient funding negatively impacts school infrastructure, teacher recruitment/retention, and student learning. Instead of returning half of Hawai`i’s $574 million tax surplus, we should invest these funds into quality public education and ensure every child has an opportunity to succeed. (39)

Is the federal No Child Left Behind Act helping or hurting Hawaii schools?  Explain.

Under-funded mandates are the new bullies on campus.  They are forcing schools to teach to standardized tests, not to the strengths and challenges of our students. “Higher test scores” should be a by-product of inspired learning, not the only goal.   (40)

How would you address violence and bullying in the schools?

Bullying and harassment are reduced through continual education, modeling behavior, and other effective alternatives to suspension or criminalization. Juvenile restorative justice is a great teaching tool and effective practice. In extreme situations, we need social service providers working with families. (40)

What can the Board do about high teacher turnover and teacher shortages?
   
We need to provide scholarships to Hawai`i students who want to become public school teachers, offer competitive compensation packages to recruit and retain great teachers, provide no-charge continuing education and professional development courses to teachers, and offer incentives accordingly. (39)