From Grassroot Institute

In this episode of E Hana Kakou, Grassroot President Keli’i Akina speaks with Darrel Galera (President) and Roberta Mayor (Board Member) of the Hawaii Center for Instructional Leadership about their work to reform education in Hawaii.

Excerpts from Interview:

Mayor:  “Every community is different.  And children come to us with different kinds of strengths and deficiencies….  We’re not proposing ‘solutions’.  We’re saying people need to be involved in the development of those solutions.’

Galera: “Race to the top was a grant, not a  law. The fact that Hawaii was placed on high-risk status for the first two years shows that it was too much.  We were asking too much of our schools--asking too much of the system.” 

Mayor: “Edmonton was the most successful.”

Galera:  “The Hawaii system is a dysfunctional system”

Mayor:  “Trust—I think that really is at the core.  If the schools could be trusted to lead, to innovate—not be kept to complying with directives—they could implement the things that are going to work best for their children and be creative and innovative and not be told that they’re stepping outside of the box.  I think it is important that people do step outside of the box.   I think we need to have discussions about what needs to be a central office function and what needs to be a school level function.  As many of the decisions that we can make at the school level—I think we should allot to the school level.  And those at the central office I think then need to develop a different kind of mindset about how what they do is going to help a child succeed.  If we could change that mindset, I think we could have a wonderful education system in Hawaii.”

Click the image to view the interview in its entirety or go here to see it on You Tube.