INVESTING IN EDUCATION

Will the state's budget crisis erase the resources needed in the schools?

The teen board weighs in.

BUREAUCRACY SHOULD BE FIRST TO GO

The government should be very careful about where Department of Education budget cuts are made.

Cuts should be made as far away from the schools and classrooms as possible. The students should remain the most important factor in any decision that will be made.

The first question we should ask ourselves is, "Where is the money going, aside from the schools?"

The answer is the DOE bureaucracy that administrates the school system.

Because the DOE uses such a high percentage of the money allocated to the school system, I think a thorough, independent audit of the DOE would allow us to identify areas in which the department is inefficient, or spends too much money.

A check should be made for redundant positions and unneeded employees, who can be extremely costly.

Furthermore, the DOE (and schools) should stop automatically filling positions lost to attrition. By waiting until it is clear that a replacement is needed before hiring another employee to fill the gap, the number of unnecessary people on the payroll can be reduced.

Overall, we face a challenging situation. That said, with a good direction — surgical cuts to the budget — we can continue to provide public education and meet our budget requirements.

Graham Hawes | Grade 12, Home schooled

KEEP CUTS AWAY FROM CLASSROOM

The proposal to cut millions of dollars from the education system should not be taken lightly.

I think the cuts should not be at the classroom level but should be entirely concentrated in reducing administrative staff at the Department of Education.

As hard as it is to believe, our classroom materials, like books and teachers, actually do teach us necessary life skills and knowledge, with the occasional socialistic ideas.

It is tempting to cut extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. However, I believe these activities give students more options for learning, help keep kids away from drugs, and give us an opportunity to meet friends, while discovering our passions.

Schools can conserve electricity — such as only using air conditioning during class times, turning off computers and other electrical devices — to not only decrease the school's electric bill, but to conserve money.

Schools should try recycling programs, which can not only help the schools become more environmentally friendly but also bring in extra money.

My point is that cuts should stay away from the classroom, but the schools should change some of their habits, like conserving money being spent excessively on things not vital to helping the students.

I want to become a lucid and well-rounded student, but with an education system that is rapidly degrading, I am not sure how much I can expect in the future.

Janae Rasmussen | Grade 9, University Laboratory School

LET STUDENTS SERVE MORE ON CAMPUS

Education cannot and should not be a one-sided effort.

Yes, Department of Education budget cuts should be taken out of DOE offices (perhaps a 1 percent salary decrease across the board), but what about the students?

If students and parents expect high-quality education with unlimited resources, then students should be actively engaged in their school and learning.

Millions of dollars could be saved each year if students cleaned classrooms instead of janitors or if students were required to serve cafeteria duty instead of hiring workers.

These actions would not only save money, but also build greater appreciation for the school.

Appreciation and respect are integral for a healthy student-school relationships; without them the educational system is thrown off balance.

Lauren Watanabe | Grade 11, Roosevelt High School

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE ESSENTIAL

According to the Department of Education's spring 2008 survey on budget priorities, extracurricular programs and classroom supplies (including textbooks) are what Hawai'i thinks are two of the priorities that should not be touched by future budget cuts on public schools.

I also believe in the importance of extracurricular programs; they should not be touched by budget cuts. They give students fun in school, an edge to resumes, and a chance to stay away from bad influences.

I am enrolled in five extracurriculars and although I am busy, I feel rewarded for working on projects that I enjoy. And like many of my friends, participating in after-school programs keeps me associating with driven peers and away from terrors of teenage youth.

By keeping after-school programs, something else may have to be cut. Classroom supplies are very important for an education, but there are ways to cut while preserving the classrooms' integrity.

I can attest there are resources my overflowing private school, La Pietra, could do without. While every student should have a textbook, perhaps we can save money by converting to online versions.

Since the Internet is available in hundreds of locations all over the island, I see no reason why any school would need more than one computer lab to keep students on track with the texts, and provide any after-school programs with necessary resources.

Smart cuts like these can potentially save thousands for the DOE. The main concern is to save the indispensable, extracurricular activities.

Takara Sights | Grade 11, La Pietra - Hawaii School for Girls

CONSERVE ENERGY TO REDUCE COSTS

According to the Department of Education's spring 2008 survey on budget priorities, extracurricular programs and classroom supplies (including textbooks) are what Hawai'i thinks are two of the priorities that should not be touched by future budget cuts on public schools.

I also believe in the importance of extracurricular programs; they should not be touched by budget cuts. They give students fun in school, an edge to resumes, and a chance to stay away from bad influences.

I am enrolled in five extracurriculars and although I am busy, I feel rewarded for working on projects that I enjoy. And like many of my friends, participating in after-school programs keeps me associating with driven peers and away from terrors of teenage youth.

By keeping after-school programs, something else may have to be cut. Classroom supplies are very important for an education, but there are ways to cut while preserving the classrooms' integrity.

I can attest there are resources my overflowing private school, La Pietra, could do without. While every student should have a textbook, perhaps we can save money by converting to online versions.

Since the Internet is available in hundreds of locations all over the island, I see no reason why any school would need more than one computer lab to keep students on track with the texts, and provide any after-school programs with necessary resources.

Smart cuts like these can potentially save thousands for the DOE. The main concern is to save the indispensable, extracurricular activities.

Takara Sights | Grade 11, La Pietra - Hawaii School for Girls

NON-ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITES IMPORTANT

In a perfect world, public schools would have immense support from state legislators and have the money to supply all students with an education that will prepare them for their future endeavors.

However, in the world that we live in the Department of Education and the Board of Education don't have all the money needed to improve public schools, and with the threat of budget cuts some services must be eliminated.

When analyzing budgets, nonacademic expenses are often seen as excessive luxuries and cut.

For many Hawai'i students, nonacademic opportunities are the things that keep them focused and interested in succeeding in school.

At one point, junior varsity athletics was threatened. If this budget cut had been realized scores of underclassmen all over Hawai'i would have been affected.

Athletics provide an outlet for students that is both safe and free of drugs and alcohol while giving participants a structured schedule of practices to follow.

If money is required to maintain athletics it should be removed from costly computer labs, which are rarely used and often abused by the students who use them more for gaming than for studying.

Athletics are too important to the youth of Hawai'i to compromise them and can be just as helpful to students as their academic rigors.

Finn Curran | Grade 12, Kaiser High School

KEEP MONEY IN CLASSROOMS

Public schooling was established upon the fundamental principle that everyone should be entitled to an education.

In proposing any statewide budget cuts, the most important factor to consider is who will be affected the most.

The answer, of course, is students. With this in mind, it's clear we need to keep as much money in our state's public education system as possible.

All student programs and resources must receive more, not less, funding. The currently proposed items cannot be cut.

How can students be expected to succeed if funds for textbooks and learning supplies are cut?

Indeed, the proposed budget cuts greatly exceed the reach of the classroom and extend to student extracurricular activities, which help develop well-rounded students.

Today's youth are the future of our society, and they must have as many tools and resources as possible to ensure that they can reach their maximum potential.

The state's proposed education budget cuts compromise this duty and the basic goal of our public education system.

Devon Catalan | Grade 12, Mid-Pacific Institute

CONSIDER DECENTRALIZING SCHOOLS

In addition to the nation's financial woes, millions of dollars may be cut from the Hawai'i public school system because of a projected $900 million budget shortfall.

Education must be a priority for Hawai'i, and student learning will be greatly impacted by severe cuts. Cutting the budget drastically isn't necessarily the answer, especially when schools today are expected to offer students more than standard academics.

Schools have to get by with less. We all have to tighten our budgets. Although eliminating smaller programs that have little impact on student learning and achievement may eliminate some jobs, the Department of Education bureaucracy needs to tighten its finances and lessen its top-heavy staff by cutting some of the many layers of administration.

Decentralizing public schools should be considered. Schools should be able to control their own budgets and tailor programs to suit their populations.

The school's budget, allocated on a per-student basis, would also give public schools more freedom to provide for their students' individual1 interests and needs.

Kanya Gagarin | Grade 11, Sacred Hearts Academy

TEACHER RECRUITMENT IS CRITICAL

Gov. Linda Lingle, concerned about a potential budget deficit, has asked all state agencies to come up with 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent reductions for the 2009-2011 budget.

The Department of Education has proposed $46 million in cuts. Two of the largest cuts include teacher recruitment/retention programs ($2.6 million), and textbook/equipment ($2 million). These two programs will be reduced the most, but ironically they are some of the most valuable.

Teacher recruitment is necessary here because of a chronic shortage of teachers. The high cost of living and low teacher salaries make it difficult to recruit and retain teachers.

With the proposed cuts, Hawai'i would suffer an even greater teacher shortage. Unlike other areas, teacher recruitment and retention cuts would be a detriment for future generations of students.

It would be a tragedy to lose inspiring teachers like Farrington High's Bebi Davis, or lose potential quality teacher candidates.

There is also a planned substantial cut in textbooks and equipment. This will result in students' inability to access updated information. As it is, students are already sharing textbooks. With the planned $2 million cut, students' ability to learn will be compromised further.

In this economic climate, it is inevitable that cuts have to be made. Because education is the most important investment in our future, it should be a priority for the state of Hawai'i.

Any cuts in the DOE should be minimized, but especially in teacher recruitment/retention and textbooks/equipment.

Stephanie Liem | Grade 11, Punahou School

SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS SHOULD NOT BE CUT

Regarding the budget cuts facing the state, it is important that the Department of Education remember that its first priority is to educate Hawai'i's youth. After reviewing the budget cuts approved by Board of Education, I believe that the majority of the reductions will have a little to no effect on students' day-to-day lives.

While it is terrible that cuts of such magnitude need to be made, some solace can be found in the fact that the DOE and Board of Education for the most part tried to keep the cuts outside of the classroom.

There are, however, several serious issues I have with certain reductions. Not surprisingly, a $2 million reduction in science textbooks and learning materials tops the list. Of the core subjects (history, math, English, and dcience), does science not change most often?

It is one thing to teach students from a 10-year-old English text, but quite another to teach from a chemistry book published in 1998.

While the story of Romeo and Juliet has changed little in the several hundred years since Shakespeare penned it, modern science has changed drastically in just a few years. For instance, a book from 1998 would not include the addition of a fourth state of matter (plasma), nor Pluto no longer being considered a planet, nor reflect the changes made to the Department of Agriculture's food pyramid.

While not a perfect solution, the DOE should be commended for keeping most of the elements essential to the education of na keiki o Hawai'i.

Taylor Mitchell | Grade 12, Kamehameha Schools

STUDENT RESOURCES MUST BE PRIORITY

Schooling is an invaluable treasure. No child should be excluded from this privilege, and it is the duty of the Department of Education to ensure each and every child will receive this opportunity. Students need to be tutored, never turned away.

The purpose of homework is to reinforce what is covered in the classroom. A budget cut will affect computers, textbooks, and teachers. Science textbooks are being removed even though they are the source of understanding scientific concepts. Without computers we will need to rely more on libraries for information. A teacher shortage translates to turning assistant football coaches into math teachers or basketball coaches into English teachers.

Athletics are one of the main components that make up a school, and sports should not be cut because students might get bored, and lose all interest i n stayi ng in school.

The Department of Eduation should make it a top priority to maintain resources for students, increase the amount of qualified, professional educators, and keep junior athletics.

Cut the unnecessary, dysfunctional programs such as standards-based grading, just don't deprive me of quality education.

Samantha Neudorf | Grade 11, Moanalua