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Hello! Looking for some advice about a potential family move to Oahu. DH works for the gov't and his office would be in Honolulu. We've visited numerous times while my sister and husband lived there (army). Things we loved--outdoor lifestyle, incredible beaches, hiking, relaxed environment. If it were just the two of us, we would've moved there a couple of years ago.
The negatives for us as a family are the cost of living and schools. We currently live in Dallas where homes are large and schools are good, but don't love the culture. (Very kid-centric, competitive environment, emphasis on things instead of experiences.) We'd prefer a simpler lifestyle and more outdoor time as a family.
We're absolutely fine with a small home (we've looked and have very low expectations ) but do worry about the kids getting a decent education. Private school might be a possibility, but our younger child has learning disabilities and won't likely be admitted to the same school as our older child. (Learning issues aren't enough to require attending a special school like Loveland.) We faced similar issues while living in south GA. Schools were pretty terrible and we couldn't get our younger child into private school with big sister. After 2 years, we finally managed to get them both into a decent magnet program.
My husband's coworkers who've lived there either had no school-age kids or very young kids (early elementary level). We've got an 8th grader and 4th grader. This move wouldn't happen until next summer, so 9th and 5th. He's there on an extended business trip now and will be doing some research on his own with coworkers but figured I'd ask here on the forums as well.
I know people complain a lot about being in a majority minority, but we don't care about any of that and already experienced it from our time in south GA. To us, it was not an issue. Thanks for any help/input!
Have you done a forum search yet? There have already been discussions about schools on Oahu. While you are waiting for responses, perhaps you could start by reading those threads.
We moved here in your same boat (H works for the Gov.), but with younger kids. Only my 1st grader is in the "system" and the other is still in pre-school.
Anyway, we made the decision to live in Hawaii Kai, which rates above average when it comes to public schools. It's all common core; and since schools are handled at a state level (not county like the mainland) there isn't much of a difference in terms of curriculum, etc., but reviews of this particular area (including feedback I got here in this forum) pointed us in that direction - so far, so good.
Also, with any learning disability, you'll likely have challenges with both fitting into the Common Core box and being accepted into competitive private schools. The person I know in a similar situation ended up trying out a charter school this year.
We moved here in your same boat (H works for the Gov.), but with younger kids. Only my 1st grader is in the "system" and the other is still in pre-school.
Anyway, we made the decision to live in Hawaii Kai, which rates above average when it comes to public schools. It's all common core; and since schools are handled at a state level (not county like the mainland) there isn't much of a difference in terms of curriculum, etc., but reviews of this particular area (including feedback I got here in this forum) pointed us in that direction - so far, so good.
Also, with any learning disability, you'll likely have challenges with both fitting into the Common Core box and being accepted into competitive private schools. The person I know in a similar situation ended up trying out a charter school this year.
Thanks, that's very helpful. I'm afraid we may have missed our timeframe for living there. It seems younger kids manage fine while older children have a harder time assimilating to the schools. Not to sound like a terrible parent, but my children aren't super motivated students (which is hard for me to accept as a Type-A person). I often feel like I'm trying to fit a bunch of square pegs into round holes by moving the kids to traditional suburban environments with high-performing schools. They don't excel despite the vast resources available in Dallas districts (this is our second time living here), but no one does terrible either. They're just average (and a little below average) kids. I suppose my real issue is will I be ruining their lives by sending them to Hawaiian schools. Taken to that extreme, probably not, but judging by what I've read on the forums, some people would have you believe that's the case.
Have you done a forum search yet? There have already been discussions about schools on Oahu. While you are waiting for responses, perhaps you could start by reading those threads.
Yes, I've looked at those. I suppose our experience with low-performing schools in South GA make us less concerned about the schools if that makes sense. The district we were in faced similar issues to the Hawaiian schools yet still produced great students (well, if the kids were bright and motivated). Did I love having my kids go to school there? No, but it certainly wasn't some horrible doom and gloom situation like I was led to believe on the forums here and by talking to locals when I first moved there. My kids were happy once we got them settled and did fine. I'm just trying to get some first-hand perspective on transitioning older kids from mainland schools to public schools on Oahu. Unfortunately, a lot of folks that comment in the threads don't even have kids in the school system, which isn't really helpful.
Thanks, I read through that already. I was really hoping to get some first-hand perspectives on moving older kids into Hawaiian schools. Hawaii and Georgia are ranked about the same for education, so it's not like Hawaii has the market cornered on lackluster public schools. We're trying to decide if an improved quality of life makes up for going back to a less-than ideal school situation. For all the hand-wringing we did over leaving Dallas schools 7 years ago when we moved back to GA, the kids returned to the better TX schools with nary a blip. (Even after 5 years of attending schools in a bottom-dwelling part of the GA system.) Maybe I should've clarified that in my original post.
You don't have to rely on the schools to teach your kids what they need to know. Actually, IMHO, public schools leave an awful lot of important subjects entirely untouched.
Teach your kids logical thinking, how to read and write (they no longer teach cursive writing in schools), how to type, how to program a computer, how to get a mortgage and how to handle finances. Cooking and basic household management wouldn't be a bad thing, either. If any of them have a tendency towards any specific job type, then add in education towards that.
IMHO, save the school environment for social skills and athletic events and do their overall education as homeschooling. If it's done in a non-school like manner, then they won't even know they're learning it, either. When you go to buy or rent a house, tell the kids what you're doing and why you're making the choices you do. When you go shopping, let them know how much you have in the budget and why you have a budget. Talk to them as adults when you can and explain how life works as you go along.
From what I've seen, there is a huge difference between home schooled kids and kids that graduate from a public school. All the home schooled kids I've met have been like small adults no matter what their age and able to handle themselves in a conversation with folks of mixed ages. Kids from public school seem much more shy about not being in their own age group.
I'm in a similar position as we are supposed to move there for a year with our kids in 8th and 4th grade next year. We would be returning to mainland to go back to their schools so I'm considering homeschool for that year with lots of activities. I'm worried about my oldest as she doesn't want to leave her friends here. But still think it would be an amazing experience.
From your post, it sounds like the schooling would be the largest and main hangup for you. Sounds like you should hone in your research on schooling to see what would be acceptable for you. If that's a go, then expand your research elsewhere.
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) but do worry about the kids getting a decent education. Private school might be a possibility, but our younger child has learning disabilities and won't likely be admitted to the same school as our older child. (Learning issues aren't enough to require attending a special school like Loveland.) We faced similar issues while living in south GA. Schools were pretty terrible and we couldn't get our younger child into private school with big sister. After 2 years, we finally managed to get them both into a decent magnet program.
Thanks for any help/input!
We're trying to decide if an improved quality of life makes up for going back to a less-than ideal school situation. For all the hand-wringing we did over leaving Dallas schools 7 years ago when we moved back to GA, the kids returned to the better TX schools with nary a blip. (Even after 5 years of attending schools in a bottom-dwelling part of the GA system.) Maybe I should've clarified that in my original post. 
