08-20-2006, 05:58 AM
I can't speak in generalities about the public school system here but the horror stories all seem to be consistent. I can only share some observations about our son's experience with HAAS (Pahoa Charter School) just a month into the school year:
No reported major discipline problems, no fighting, no open drug use. So far.
My son's academic attitude seems much the same as it was at his mainland suburbia school. He's always been a good student. He admits he's getting less homework than he used to (trust me, he's not complaining about it
. He also says he's being challenged in some subjects (dreaded trig which, thanks to his teaher, he's starting to "get"
. He says his classmates get away with a little more than his mainland school would allow, but most infractions are "good-natured-smart-ass" comments made during the lesson. (I went to a strict Catholic school, and can tell you we had no shortage of smart-ass class clowns He said that students openly talk about drugs, but it's no different than the school he came from on the mainland.
And the bus system...tried it without incident. Son's only complaint was that it took so long for him to get home. Since HAAS is only minutes away from our house, we usually pick him up. But the bus system is our back-up option if we need it.
The toughest part of our decision to move here was the idea of subjecting our teenage son to a move at such a challenging time in life. I spent a lot of time "selling" the move to him, and (surprisingly) it worked. What's been the most surprising is that we haven't heard one complaint from him about ANYTHING. On the contrary, he likes the school atmosphere, gets along with the teachers, and feels accepted by his classmates. Considering we went into this with low expectations, gotta say his educational experience has exceeded our wildest expectations. So far.
And while I'm confident HAAS is doing its best to maintain a positive learning environment, I'm not counting on them to be perfect. I recognize that no matter where my children go in the course of their lives, there will be drugs, alcohol, fighting, bullies, prejudice and countless acts of cruelty. It's not a pleasant thought, but our children have to learn to deal with life's imperfections and challenges themselves because we won't always be there to hold their hands. These are valuable life lessons my son is facing today. In the long run I believe it will make him a better person.
So...if I had to make a recommendation today, I'd say that from our limited experience, HAAS appears to be a viable public school option. Anyone else out there with a child at HAAS?
Aloha
Tim
"...if silence were golden you couldn't raise a dime; 'cause your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime" Mose Allison
No reported major discipline problems, no fighting, no open drug use. So far.
My son's academic attitude seems much the same as it was at his mainland suburbia school. He's always been a good student. He admits he's getting less homework than he used to (trust me, he's not complaining about it
. He also says he's being challenged in some subjects (dreaded trig which, thanks to his teaher, he's starting to "get". He says his classmates get away with a little more than his mainland school would allow, but most infractions are "good-natured-smart-ass" comments made during the lesson. (I went to a strict Catholic school, and can tell you we had no shortage of smart-ass class clowns He said that students openly talk about drugs, but it's no different than the school he came from on the mainland.And the bus system...tried it without incident. Son's only complaint was that it took so long for him to get home. Since HAAS is only minutes away from our house, we usually pick him up. But the bus system is our back-up option if we need it.
The toughest part of our decision to move here was the idea of subjecting our teenage son to a move at such a challenging time in life. I spent a lot of time "selling" the move to him, and (surprisingly) it worked. What's been the most surprising is that we haven't heard one complaint from him about ANYTHING. On the contrary, he likes the school atmosphere, gets along with the teachers, and feels accepted by his classmates. Considering we went into this with low expectations, gotta say his educational experience has exceeded our wildest expectations. So far.
And while I'm confident HAAS is doing its best to maintain a positive learning environment, I'm not counting on them to be perfect. I recognize that no matter where my children go in the course of their lives, there will be drugs, alcohol, fighting, bullies, prejudice and countless acts of cruelty. It's not a pleasant thought, but our children have to learn to deal with life's imperfections and challenges themselves because we won't always be there to hold their hands. These are valuable life lessons my son is facing today. In the long run I believe it will make him a better person.
So...if I had to make a recommendation today, I'd say that from our limited experience, HAAS appears to be a viable public school option. Anyone else out there with a child at HAAS?
Aloha
Tim
"...if silence were golden you couldn't raise a dime; 'cause your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime" Mose Allison
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius