Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

[John Maple]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

OK, here is my perspective as a 9 year teacher. I taught in Ohio and currently teach in Las Vegas, NV (also ranked at the bottom). I have always worked with kids who don't achieve well on standardized tests. I am interviewing for Hawaii schools next week and hope after 5 years of looking for an opening there in my subject area, I can make Hawaii my home.
Research for years indicates the number 1 variable in student achievement is home enviroment. This does not mean parents are highly educated or even 100% involved in the education process of their student, rather the enviroment at home is loving, secure, and supportive. In fact numerous studies where schools implemented more communication and "trainings" for parents/guardians to help their students achieve increased success for typically low scoring students. As an outsider of course, it would seem to me that because community and family are such key elements in Hawaiian culture, that increasing the parental communities involvement would help students achieve. I hope to work in Hawaii by next school year, and I also hope to be a part of increasing student achievement with other educators and community memebers who want to see the kids succeed. It is great to identify the issues but the next step is to begin searching and implementing the solutions. I love the fact that I get to work with amazingly creative and intriguing students everyday! I am blessed and if I can share with them how it is to know how to question and how to learn then I have done my job! "It takes a village to raise a child" is a proverb that any school and educator should allow themselves to be guided by on a daily basis...in my humbled opinion

That's well and good--but then what happens if parents are indifferent or outright hostile to education? Do we give up on those kids and just concentrate on the ones with helicopter parents?

[Got2HaVKaYaNoW]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

! "It takes a village to raise a child" is a proverb that any school and educator should allow themselves to be guided by on a daily basis...in my humbled opinion

Yea, thats how it was in my neighborhood, I remember when I was small playing wit' all the kids on my street and if we did something stupid~ we'd ALL get lickens, didn't matter who's kids is who's...that was the good 'ol days,

We could all go into each others house, hangout all day-learn stuff, everyone was 'aunty' 'uncle' sheesh all of us kids called each other cousins & went to school telling everyone that.

but i remember the lickens.....huh, LTS, that was funny.

[timkona]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

There is a fascinating historical connection between the removal of the paddle from the classroom, and declining achievement scores.

But Liberals do not report that stat, nor do they want people like me to bring it up.

[dani121]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

its mostly about how secure and loved the child feels not necessarily about the parents attitude towards education. Of course as educators and community memebers we have to identify those kids who do not have that security and love in the home and work to supplement it at school and through community based programs. You cannot give up on any kid as an educator! I have worked in districts with kids who faced many challenges outside school ( I was one of those kids and I found that a teacher or just any 1 adult who shows how much they care can make a huge difference!

That's well and good--but then what happens if parents are indifferent or outright hostile to education? Do we give up on those kids and just concentrate on the ones with helicopter parents?

[alohabear]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

I think after yesterday's earthquake hoax and ALL the STUPID people who reacted to it,our state may have moved up to #1 in most of the nation's eyes.

[TuNnL]

Re: Hawaii is 9th "Dumbest State"

There’s actually an entire thread about it here. It is amazing how many people out there will believe anything their tutu from Ka‘a‘awa heard from her best friend’s sister’s cousin who works for the Navy. The Coconut Wireless remains a powerful thing.