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"Not sure why the education system is so bad there"
* As far as I understand it, Hawaii is the only state in the country where education is not funded by property taxes.
* There is no free bus system to get kids to school. For many kids, the only form of transportation to school is a combination of walking and hitchhiking. One of my daughter's classmates had a 15 mile commute this way. The absenteeism is epic.
* There are two classes of students, depending on if the student qualifies to get into the Kamehameha schools, which transplants generally do not.
I could go on and on. My daughter succeeded in public education in Hawaii because she was her own greatest advocate. When she showed up as a sophomore they tried to put her into BASIC MATH knowing full well her last course at a previous school was per-calculus. She demanded to meet with the principal and told him, "I'm NOT taking basic math. I could TEACH basic math." Ironically, about a year later she was teaching basic math at that very high school in a mentoring program. Unfortunately, the only math class they had for her was watching a high school calculus class on Maui via Skype. She later told me that she learned more about calculus from watching videos on youtube. I joked at the time about making a bumper sticker that said "Hawaii Public Schools: Almost as good as YouTube". Unfortunately, it turned out that it wasn't really a joke.
I've posted quite a few times on this forum about my daughter's journey through Hawaii's public school system. If you want to know more, use the search function and read them. It wasn't a bad ending... she graduated over a year early as valedictorian and is attending the public university on a scholarship. Fortunately we had an exceptional daughter and student. The Hawaii public school system meat grinder doesn't always spit out these types of successes.
Even Hilo itself feels pretty rural and it's the largest population center on the island, so you don't have to look very far for "rural" to find it....
Hotcatz, that post has to be the most usefully concentrated post about what to expect while living on The Big Island that I've read. Not having to hunt around all over the place for the information you shared is a godsend for someone like me, who is also seriously considering a move to Hawaii at some point, with an emphasis on The Big Island.
I only wish this particular post could be "stickied"! It would be so much easier to find. That said, I'll just print it out, laminate it, and add it to the pile o'stuff I'm saving as research.
Thank you for taking the time to write up such an informative and helpful post .
No worries Irish Eyes_Mrs. Z, I'm hoping to help someone survive the transition. Several years ago there was a really nice fellow who wanted to "get away from it all" and bought fifty acres up around Glenwood off in the way back of beyond. He lasted about a year and he left because he was too far away from everything. That and the mud and thieves. But frequently it seems folks want to do something such as "get away from it all", "slow down", "live in a rural area", etc., and then they go way overboard in that direction. Then it doesn't work and then they go back to the mainland when with a little more awareness of what they're getting into might have saved them. Frequently, it's the folks who buy land from the mainland who fall into this trap.
We also have the problem of non-congruent terms when we're discussing things. We call some of the housing areas in Puna "sub-divisions" but that's not anything like what mainland folks think of when they use the term. The same with our "highway". I suspect many folks have wider subdivision streets than some areas of our highway. So, we say one thing and folks think it's something else and we don't realize we aren't communicating properly. It would also seem very foreign to some folks to have houses that don't have electric or water service. Shootz, my cuz from NYC didn't understand that the grocery didn't deliver and there wasn't any deli or pizza (or any other food) delivery, either. Nor "bottle service" whatever that is.
You're not in the middle of nowhere, Leilaniguy, you're directly above the center of the universe. (You just have to tilt it the right way)
And then we call them "subdivisions" and get surprised when folks show up and expect trash service to go along with sewer, mail, water, power, etc. etc. Not to mention the parks and nearby shopping areas, because, after all - it's a subdivision. I'm guessing they're expecting suburbia.
"Not sure why the education system is so bad there"
* As far as I understand it, Hawaii is the only state in the country where education is not funded by property taxes.
* There is no free bus system to get kids to school. For many kids, the only form of transportation to school is a combination of walking and hitchhiking. One of my daughter's classmates had a 15 mile commute this way. The absenteeism is epic.
* There are two classes of students, depending on if the student qualifies to get into the Kamehameha schools, which transplants generally do not.
I could go on and on. My daughter succeeded in public education in Hawaii because she was her own greatest advocate. When she showed up as a sophomore they tried to put her into BASIC MATH knowing full well her last course at a previous school was per-calculus. She demanded to meet with the principal and told him, "I'm NOT taking basic math. I could TEACH basic math." Ironically, about a year later she was teaching basic math at that very high school in a mentoring program. Unfortunately, the only math class they had for her was watching a high school calculus class on Maui via Skype. She later told me that she learned more about calculus from watching videos on youtube. I joked at the time about making a bumper sticker that said "Hawaii Public Schools: Almost as good as YouTube". Unfortunately, it turned out that it wasn't really a joke.
I've posted quite a few times on this forum about my daughter's journey through Hawaii's public school system. If you want to know more, use the search function and read them. It wasn't a bad ending... she graduated over a year early as valedictorian and is attending the public university on a scholarship. Fortunately we had an exceptional daughter and student. The Hawaii public school system meat grinder doesn't always spit out these types of successes.
I will definitely check out those other posts about the education system. I did make Aware to my wife that even though she teaches in a diverse socio-economic climate where there is a lot of poverty mixed with well off families, you may face challenges that your not use to. She will have to ask herself will she be able to adjust to those differences as honestly as she can.
No worries Irish Eyes_Mrs. Z, I'm hoping to help someone survive the transition. Several years ago there was a really nice fellow who wanted to "get away from it all" and bought fifty acres up around Glenwood off in the way back of beyond. He lasted about a year and he left because he was too far away from everything. That and the mud and thieves. But frequently it seems folks want to do something such as "get away from it all", "slow down", "live in a rural area", etc., and then they go way overboard in that direction. Then it doesn't work and then they go back to the mainland when with a little more awareness of what they're getting into might have saved them. Frequently, it's the folks who buy land from the mainland who fall into this trap.
We also have the problem of non-congruent terms when we're discussing things. We call some of the housing areas in Puna "sub-divisions" but that's not anything like what mainland folks think of when they use the term. The same with our "highway". I suspect many folks have wider subdivision streets than some areas of our highway. So, we say one thing and folks think it's something else and we don't realize we aren't communicating properly. It would also seem very foreign to some folks to have houses that don't have electric or water service. Shootz, my cuz from NYC didn't understand that the grocery didn't deliver and there wasn't any deli or pizza (or any other food) delivery, either. Nor "bottle service" whatever that is.
Great post. That is why I want to gather as much knowledge as possible in living on the big island. I have been reading posts and threads here and other sites like a mental patient. Much of what I have read so far I believe we can adjust to. We live in a prototypical sub-division now with 1/4 acre lots and can't stand it. I did grow up in an area where the only thing close by was a grocery store (if that is what you want to call it) and a post office. We had no mail delivery and there was no trash pick up. You had to take care of your own trash (which we just burned it). I also did grow up on back country dirt roads which I never minded. Most roads you would not want to be texting on because you will end up in a ditch or a tree. I have researched the catchment system and it appears as long as you properly maintain it, you should be fine. Though we would like to have electric service.
I would think people who come from the city or suburban areas that are not use to country living will have a harder time adjusting to the Big Island way of life. I would think we would get sticker shock from the cost of goods and services. I'm sure it is not cheap to have things delivered say from Amazon to Hawaii (if they will deliver to there at all). That will take some getting use to.
My most important concerns is the quality of education our 12 yr old daughter will receive at a public school there. I do always believe education starts at home. In most cases, if parents are not concerned with their child's education, the child will not be concerned with their education. Private school is an option, but I have read that will set you back $15-20K annually. Ouch! I have also read that there are a lot of fights in the public schools there and that violence is an issue in them. But I have also read that some schools are better than others; which I agree is like that anywhere you go.
My other main concern is my wife would be coming from a well funded pro-teacher public school district. I'm just concerned how that would transition to the Big Island. That is a huge pro for any teacher and it makes a teachers job more efficient. I know my wife would easily adjust to an under funded school (she will purchase many supplies herself and she will make up lists for students to bring home to the parents to help out too (facial tissues are a big hit). But more importantly is the school pro-teacher. For instance, she runs a tight ship. She is a no nonsense classroom management type teacher, but always finding ways to make lesson plans more interesting and fun for the students. Most students love her (including some of the ones with disciplinary issues) and some dont like her (but respect her). Bottom line is she is tough, but fair and is very passionate about getting the most out of each child (tough love if you will). basically, when a child is being a disruptive issue, will administration handle it and take care of the problem. When the parent freaks out, will administration back the teacher explaining to the parent what the issue is and this is the best course of action for the best interest of the child. I suppose those will be questions she will have to ask during an interview.
Now being that public schools are all inclusive they will have SPED students in with regular ones, but where she teaches now there is a certified SPED co-teacher in her classroom giving each SPED student/students the special attention that they need. By law, a teachers aid (non-certified) can also be her co-teacher, but she has been fortunate enough thus far having a certified SPED teacher as her co-teacher. Like most states, they are in dire need of SPED teachers. You want a teaching job, become a SPED teacher. So basically this is not always a luxary a teacher will have in their classroom no matter where you live. It is very likely she will not have a certified SPED co-teacher this year and have just a teachers aid.
My most important concerns is the quality of education our 12 yr old daughter will receive at a public school there.
Why not just wait 6 more years until she is ready for college - she'll be better educated, will keep her friends, and have better life experiences.
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