Equity in Education

In Hawai`i, 20% of students attend private schools, a higher-than-average number when compared to other states. Recently, a teacher shared on Twitter about the equity gap that exists between private schools and public schools here in Hawai`i. She pointed out the tuition at private schools ($15,000-$26,000/year) and the experiences those students have (such as class trips to Australia) that her public school students would never have. As teacher Sarah Milianta-Laffin states, “Private school money isn’t just buying access to different technology, it’s buying access to a different life.”

I don’t blame private school parents for wanting the best for their children. (Full disclosure: our older two sons attended a private school; tuition was high, but as parents, we were willing to make the sacrifice so our sons could benefit from the opportunities they might not have had in public schools. We never regretted our decision.)  I don’t blame private schools who often have alumni with big pockets who are more-than-willing to make large donations to their alma mater. I don’t blame private school teachers who just want to do the best for their students like their counterparts in public schools.

It’s not a problem of private schools having too much; the problem is that public schools don’t have enough. As a public school principal, I know how difficult it was to take our limited funds and to craft a budget that provided our students with a well-rounded education, one that included not just academics, but fine arts and physical education, as well as supports for students and teachers. As a larger elementary school, we had more choices than smaller schools, hiring teachers for drama and physical education as well as a part-time art teacher. Many schools don’t have those kinds of choices or they have to apply for grants or rely on their Parent-Teacher Organization to fundraise to provide students with non-academic experiences. All students need those opportunities.

I follow many Hawai'i educators on Twitter, and I am constantly amazed at how much they give of their time to provide their students with amazing opportunities - Robotics, video productions, place-based project based learning, musical performances, designing and painting murals, participating in student marches - these are just a snippet of what our public school students are doing. Educators are sharing via their tweets or Instagram posts, podcasts, videos, or blogs. They share their successes as well as challenges, and they encourage each other to keep going, making suggestions when a colleague may be feeling discouraged. They plan their own professional development sessions such as W-RITE or EdCamp or 808Unconferences and spend “spare” time continuing to learn with other like-minded educators. I doubt that the public is aware of how much our educators sacrifice for their students.

The equity divide between private and public schools will only grow wider if we don’t do anything to increase the funding pot for public schools. Years ago, I asked a state senator why the Legislature couldn’t increase the General Excise Tax by 0.5% with the additional funds solely dedicated to the Department of Education. He shared that it is always unpopular for legislators to increase taxes, and there would be little support for such a bill. Even for our kids? Yes, even for our kids. 😞 (Maybe that can be changed. 😊) Private schools can fundraise to upgrade their buildings; our school (Daniel K. Inouye Elementary) was fortunate to be able to apply for a Department of Defense grant for our project because we are on a military base. What funds exist for other public schools, many of which are old and in need of renovations? Legislators advocate for their schools, but there is never enough money to go around, and schools sometimes have to wait for their chance. A few years ago, the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs proposed and the 2013 State Legislature approved Act 155. “This Act requires the Department of Education (DOE) to identify three school-related sites that could generate revenue through a public-private partnership (P3) or other mechanisms to create a source of funding for the construction of new schools and enhancement of existing schools into state-of-the-art learning environments.” I look forward to seeing how such a public-private partnership can work to enhance the learning environments for our students. Wouldn’t it be great to ensure the success of this type of partnership?

Lastly, I hope educators continue to share their stories about their students and invite the public to be partners as we prepare our students for their future. It will take all of us - not just educators - to ensure that the divide between public and private schools does not get wider. Let’s work together to ensure that public schools have sufficient funds to provide their students with a quality education. Our students and our schools deserve it!