Large Group Meeting Notes: 09/21/11

HE‘E Large Group Meeting

September 21, 2011

YWCA Fuller Hall

 

 

Attendees:

 

1. Pamela Young

2. Stacy Nishina (HSTA)

3. Al Nagasako (HSTA)

4. PJ Foehr

5. Gordon Miyamoto (DOE)

6. Wendy Kekahio (McREL)

7. Nolan Malone (McREL)

8. Sherri Okinaga (Academy 21)

9.  Takashi Ohno

10. Jennifer Dang (Hawaii 5210)

11. Rockwell Fukino (HALOS)

12. Cynthia Okazaki (PACT)

13. Jean Silvernail (USPACOM)

14. Caroline Hayashi (PPS/GSH)

15. Gail Hanneman (GSH)

16. Mary Weir (FACE)

17. Karen Ginoza (FACE)

18. Lyla Berg (Aloha Posse)

19.  Carl Ackerman (Pueo)

20.  Debbie Berger (TLC)

21. Kathy Bryant (HE‘E)

22. Cheri Nakamura (HE‘E)

 

Agenda:

 

5:30-6:00 Check-in and Networking

 

6:00-6:20 Jean Silvernail, USPACOM

 

• Mission: Advocate to advance education of the highest attainable quality for military children in the USPACOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) to retain and recruit quality military members to support the mission
• 72,329 military school-age children in USPACOM AOR, 22,642 military students in Hawaii, 14,772 military students in Public Schools
• Military Student Challenges:
  • Average military child encounters 6-9 new schools during his K-12 career
  • Military children are highly resilient but take almost a school year to adjust
• Nearly 2/3 of Army High School students report loss of credits due to transfer

1. Requirements from State to State vary
2. Deployment-Parents have been deployed as many as 10 times

• Military Parent Concerns
  • Schools are not autonomous-standards, textbooks, length of day, graduation requirements, geographic exceptions (GE), schedules, testing, programs and policies are not the same
• Military Parent Desires
  • Choices are desired-on line courses, AP courses, quality charter schools, viable GEs
  • Provide transparent testing information to parents
  • Expand opportunities for participation in sports and other extra-curricular activities
  • Modify home schooling regulations to promote student success and avoid penalties.
  • Participate in decision-making that directly affects their children
  • Accept on-line accredited courses toward graduation and add to transcript
  • Prevent bullying
• Military Initiatives to Partner with DOE-Initiatives generally implemented in schools with 20% or 50 or more military students. All students within school may participate
  • JVEF Grants
  • DoDEA Grants
  • S.T.E.M Initiatives
  • Army’s National Science and Math Initiative AP Grants in 5 high schools
  • DoDEA Virtual Learning Grants, Blended Learning Grants, AVID
  • Military/School Partnerships-mentoring, coaching, building repairs
• Dream List
  • Charter High School modeled after the Military Charter Schools in Chicago
  • STEM Charter High School
  • State STEM Consortium
  • Community-Based Schools
  • Parent Advocacy Training
  • Student Leadership Academies
  • Research Internships for High School Students
• USPACOM has much in common with HE‘E
  • Desire the best education possible for our children
  • Dedicated to making a difference
  • Willing to partner to promote quality education
  • Believe parents are a key to successful learning

 

6:25-6:45 Stacy Nishina, HSTA

• Who is HSTA?  Labor union comprised of teachers, registrars, and counselors. Members in public schools and charter schools. Affiliate of National Educational Association
• What does HSTA do? Uphold agreements made between DOE and teachers, advocate for members and education issues, provides leadership training and professional development.
• Professional Development (PD) helps to increase knowledge, problem-solving, technical skills or professional performance standards all with goal of providing better teacher and learning
• Summer Internship Program (part of PD) exposes teachers to real life work experiences outside of the classroom to create learning that is rigorous and relevant, and enables teachers to shape the next generation of employees to be equipped with workforce skills.  Some business partners include Star-Advertiser, Bank of Hawaii, Castle and Cooke, First Insurance, Outrigger, DFS, Hawaiian Airlines and Starwood.
• NEA Grant-NEA Workshop- Family-School-Community Partnerships

It’s time we take family and community engagement as seriously as we take curriculum, standards, and                    tests.

• Research shows that partnerships can play a vital role in closing achievement gaps among students of similar ability.
• Over the last five years, NEA and its affiliates have convened more than 125 community conversations in 21 states
• Community driven-they identify causes of achievement gaps in their communities, set priorities, develop and implement action plans, and mobilize to get results

• HSTA-Received a grant and will be working with the Big Island to implement-5 STEP PROCESS

1. Identify the community:  HSTA is considering the Big Island
2. Engage the Community:  HSTA will work to establish an Organizing Coalition Committee
3. Identify the Critical Issues: analyze the Community Conversation data and identify the community’s top three priorities.
4. Agree on Priorities & Create an Action Plan:  an action plan that addresses the changes they seek.
5. Mobilize the Community:  Guided by the plan of action, community members work together towards improving student success.

• Building Partnerships Goals- enhanced relationships between teachers and parents, increased confidence in the school system, return of students from private schools, improved communication among institutional stakeholders

 

6:50-7:00 Member Announcements

 

FACE parent Leadership Training

September 24 and November 19, 2011 – 9 am to 3:00 pm, Susannah Wesley Community Center, 1117 Kaili Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819

 

This two day leadership training aims to empower parents/guardians of students attending schools in the Farrington Complex with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to be more involved in their children’s education and the state’s public school system.  Parents and community members from other schools are invited to register if they agree to volunteer in the Farrington Complex schools.

 

Trainer:  Mary Gonzales of the Gamaliel Foundation, A Training Institute

Contact:  Faith Action for Community Equity, 1352 Liliha Street, Rm. 2, Honolulu, HI  96817, Ph. 522-1304 or

Call FACE Education Organizer, Patrick Zukemura, Ph. 391-3464

 

Aloha Posse Bootcamp for Democracy: 09/24/11

September 22, 2011 | Filed Under: Important News

Saturday, September 24, 2011    •    8:30 am – 3:30 pm

The Judiciary History Center, 2nd floor Conference Room, 417 King Street, (Queen and Miller Streets), Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

 

Resource materials, light refreshments, lunch, and parking stipend for all participants will be provided.

 

Lyla Berg also provided timeline of how Aloha Posse came together and advocated on BOE Policy 4540. Stressed the power of alliance.

 

7:00-7:30 Discussion on Education Benchmark Indicators

 

Summary:  We offered the following questions for discussion at the September 24 meeting.  Small groups discussed and a handful of people submitted comments in writing.  A small group will convene to focus on the discussion of education system indicators and measures of success.  Anyone interested in working on those indicators should let Cheri know.  The task is to jumpstart the conversation and submit a set of proposed indicators by the middle of October.  Responses are in bold.  We also encourage all HE’E members to join in the conversation and submit comments.

 

HE’E Questionnaire:  Hawaii Education System Indicators and Measures of Success

Responses:  5 responses submitted

 

What are the community-based measures of success? An outcome that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timed).    For example, an Indicator may be 3rd Grade Literacy and an Outcome would be 90% of 3rd graders read at grade level by 2016.  Choosing a specific indicator and measure of success, sets the priorities for planning, policy making, resource allocation, etc.  Knowing the outcome goal helps shape the decision-making at the Board, Complex, and school level.  By selecting only a handful of indicators, really focuses the efforts of the department.

 

We have heard from Strive about the community-based education indicators they created.  A copy of their presentation chart is attached.  In Hawaii, P-20 charts indicators for high school graduates.  A sample of their indicators is attached.  At our recent HE’E Planning Team meeting we began brainstorming general categories for which indicators could be developed.    Please check the ones you like and give your feedback on these category areas:

 

1. Academic or Student Achievement:

• As measured by a combination of quality instruction and developmental  benchmarks

• Distinguish between student outcomes and school outcomes (or indicators)

• Prioritize or distinguish between primary and secondary indicators

• Use growth model indicators

• Mastery of content

• 3rd grade literacy

• 8th grade algebra readiness

• Continuity of instructional language

 

2. Health and Wellness

• Healthy lunch program

• PE minutes a week

• Opportunities for physical exercise

• Diet

• What are measurable outcomes?

 

3. Family Support and Engagement

• Active SCC

• Parent participation in parent/teacher conferences

• Address cultural and language barriers

• School/Community/parent communication/interaction measured by documents/info going out and percent response coming back

• Meaningful parent survey

 

4. School Facilities

• Narrow the facilities gap within feeder schools

• Set standards

 

5. School Safety

• Chapter 19 referrals

• Bullying

• Use a survey

• Institution of security

• Educational programs that target school safety

 

6. School Transition Success (pre to K, elem to middle, middle to high, high to college/career)

• Data

• Tours of new school

• Parents have “seen” or “met” the new principal

• Sufficient number of counselors in high school

 

7. Other: ________________________________

 

 

How would you describe what a great school looks, feels, like?  What about a great school complex?

• Students engaged, open lines of communication, common instructional language

 

7:30-8:00 Networking and Closing