Small Business News
August 2004 | Online Edition
Blame Unions, Not Parents for Problems
in Hawaii's Public Education System
By Laura Brown, Hawaii Reporter
Some people in Hawaii are blaming parents for Hawaii's failing education system.
The Department of Education's failure to educate is partly the fault of the parents who have not bothered to demand better quality services for their children, but the blame should be shared with all citizens who have allowed the Democrat-controlled legislature to perpetuate a system where the unions control public education.
For example, the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract only allows 1290 minutes -21.5 hours - of instruction per week. Compare this to approximately 32 hours per week of instruction in private school, the equivalent of 88 additional days of public school over the course of a school year.
Also, the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract does not allow for a K-12 curriculum to be implemented. Without that, extra time in school is meaningless. Private schools have a sequential curriculum and annual objective measures of progress. Parents know this is key to their children's progress. Union leaders, not parents, are the customers in the government school system. All DOE employees - from the superintendent on down -are members of the union hierarchy. The parents' role is simply to provide grist (children) for the union's job mill. Teachers are treated merely as paychecks providing the compulsory dues that help maintain power of a select few.
The union monopoly over government schools leaves no one accountable. An education consumer can't get his tax money refunded if the union/government provides a shoddy education product.
The solutions? At the very least, citizens can certainly find the time to vote for representatives in the Board of Education and the legislature who will pass policies or laws that allow all families choices, including those not able to afford private education. Even more important, Hawaii's parents must find their voice to demand quality education for all children, whether through their vote, their letters to the editor, their letters to the Department of Education and state officials - or say, picketing the Department of Education.
Beware of Overpricing Your Home
By Walt Harvey (R), ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, ePRO
Real estate prices here on Oahu have increased at a blistering rate for the last few years. High demand, fueled by low interest rates and a strengthening economy have outpaced the limited supply of available homes and condos. Almost every home that comes on the market is priced higher than the last comparable sale. With very few homes to choose from, buyers must pay the asking price, or more, or face even higher prices with the next suitable property. Caution! The market may be changing!
Factors affecting the real estate market can be very subtle and often catch sellers and inexperienced agents by surprise. With prices at all time highs, a slight increase in interest rates, will eliminate buyers. Qualified buyers may become discouraged with the multiple offer/bidding process and will simply choose to wait and see if conditions change.
A factor that many real estate professionals watch closely is the available inventory of homes for sale and the number of days it takes to sell them. When inventory rises, buyers have more choices. The time a home is on the market before selling starts to increase and buyers can take more time to consider their buying decision.
Increases in available inventory and days on market can signal a change in the market that takes two to three months to show up in the media. Why? The sales figures quoted in the media in July are from sales that closed escrow in June and those sales actually took place in March or April or May.
So if you're thinking of selling and the media are reporting record prices month after month, why not keep pushing the limit? With so many agents competing for so few listings, its easy to find an agent that will list your home at almost any price, regardless of the comparable sales. If you're just testing the market and don't really need to sell, this strategy ís fine. Let an agent advertise and hold open houses and if your home doesn't sell you'll stay put. When you truly need to sell, experience trumps enthusiasm.
Don't let an agent convince you they can get you more than all the other agents you've talked with just so you'll pick them.
Walt Harvey is a real estate broker with East Oahu Realty and works with his wife Arla. They can be reached on their website: http://www.coastalhawaii.com or by calling (808) 375-8959.
|
