Schools failing under No Child may face staff dismissals, overhauls

Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto wants the authority to replace the principals, most teachers and other staffers at public schools that have consistently failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements.  The drastic action might be needed at as many as 28 schools that have been consistently failing to meet standards.

Hamamoto is currently prevented from reassigning a school's entire staff because no state law grants her the authority to do so and the process has not been negotiated with unions.  Both the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the Hawaii Government Employees Association say they oppose a bill being pushed by the DOE to allow reconstitution....

(The Advertiser did a pretty good job explaining the issues, the Star-Bulletin gives the union snow-job.... Title: "School restructuring costs spark concerns" which ends with this item...)

After hiring Edison Schools Inc., Waialua High and Intermediate School reading and math scores improved enough for the school to meet its goals, said Principal Randiann Porras-Tang. She said Edison has math and reading directors who crunch data and offer teachers effective tools to bring students up to speed. The school also started assessing 7th- through 10th-graders monthly to flag content where they might need more practice.

But Porras-Tang said the goal is to downgrade Edison's presence at the school next year and eventually carry on the lessons on their own.

Let's review: We can't transfer, much less fire, incompetent teachers and administrators with a proven track record of failure.  But Edison brings success to a school and "the goal is to downgrade Edison's presence..."

Any questions?

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Obama administration likely to favor medicinal pot

Admitted former pot smoking coke-head Barack Obama has a scheme which will create millions of new Democrat voters, 9-11 troothers, and anti-GMO protesters--if they can remember to show up at the polls. 

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GMO bills to reignite debate in Legislature

House Bill 1226, introduced by House Speaker Calvin Say, would prohibit the state or counties from passing bans on genetic modification. The bill makes an exception for legislation passed before January -- such as the Hawaii County ban on GMO coffee and taro passed in October. It also exempts laws to control genetic modification of taro.

Not a single human being has ever been shown to have been harmed by GMOs anywhere on Earth.  Meanwhile the 'organics' who don't use pesticides and their cousins the 'rawfoodists' who only eat raw foods are continuing to have a self-inflicted problem with RAT LUNGWORM DISEASE....

Related: Anti-GMO terrorist gets 22 years in Federal Pen  (great read, very uplifting)

Related:  WHT IDs location of GM lab in Hilo

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Hawaii National Guard protects goods on convoy duty in Iraq

More than 900 of Hawai'i's citizen soldiers are on the road every day in Iraq, notching up 10,000 miles in at least 300 Humvees as they provide security for supply convoys heading all over the combat zone.  "We get to see pretty much all of Iraq," said 2nd Lt. Bingham L. Tuisamatatele, 28, who grew up in Kalihi and now lives in Kapolei.  "It's been a good experience," he said of all the driving.

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