HONOKAA, HAWAII – During a community meeting at the People’s Theatre Thursday night, school teacher Miles Okumura talks about the 300 page “white paper” documenting alleged mismanagement at Honoka’a High and Intermediate School.
On Wednesday, principal Marcella McClelland was placed on temporary leave. Teachers, parents, and students have been rising up in opposition to McClelland’s leadership over the past few months, and this week the situation boiled over in school community council meetings and sign waving demonstrations.
This is called the White Paper… because its white. The name of the paper is called Unacceptable. I thought that was polite and clear. There’s an introduction about unacceptable management. There’s a chapter on the mismanagement of teacher assignments… There’s a chapter on concerns and issues regarding special education. Then there’s labor agreement violations – the labor contracts with the teachers with the educational assistants and other staff, with cafeteria workers, people that clean rooms, various groups of people that were abused. The failure to communicate and respond. Harassment of teachers at Honokaa High and Intermediate. And my favorite: history of issues at Waimea Elementary School. That is, God bless you suffering people, the longest chapter. Miles Okumura
Big Island Video News will have more coverage from this meeting.
Please make the “White Paper” available for viewing so we are able to educate ourselves and support the effort put forth by the teachers.