100 signatures reached
To: Kihei Charter School Administrators & Governance Board
Protect our kids; Enable full distance learning for Kihei Charter School
Important UPDATE: As of 5:17pm August 13, 2020, Our concerns were addressed and Kihei Charter just announced that they will be 100% distance-learning until further notice. . If you still feel compelled to sign in support incase they revert that decision please do so. Mahalo for all of your Kokua !! - KCS Concerned Parents
We want Kihei Charter School governance board & administrators to put our kids and community first in prevention of continued spread of Covid-19. We need Kihei Charter School to commit to a solid long term plan that adheres to the statewide distance learning curriculum for the entirety of the first quarter. This is to facilitate quality learning environments and ensure the safety of students, teachers, families and all community members.
Why is this important?
We ask you to act now. School is scheduled to start Monday, leaving mere days to prevent harm to our families and community. **KCS Students are able to sign this petition too.
It was announced Tuesday August 12th by the state department of education that all neighboring island public schools will transition to full distance learning for a minimum of the first 4 weeks of school in an effort to support safety first for both students, faculties and ‘ohanas. After reviewing Kihei Charter School's reopening plan, the students, families and community are in dismay. We feel that the plan that has been presented to us does not put the safety of our children or community first during this world health pandemic and it does not prepare us for the near future.
To understand why Kihei Charter School is able to resist the guidance of the DOE and other authorities, please read on. When it comes to operational decisions including whether to offer virtual, blended or face to face classes at Kihei Charter School, it is important to understand the difference between traditional public schools vs. Hawaii State Charter Schools. Traditional public schools are run by the Hawai'i Department of Education. In contrast, public charter schools in Hawaii are run by Governing Boards, under charter agreements (Charter Contracts) approved by the Hawaii Public State Public Charter School Commission. The Governing Board is different for every charter school. During this pandemic, even with the recommendations of the DOE & our Mayor, the governing board of Kihei Charter School still controls all final decisions on how they will operate throughout this pandemic.