I am a public school teacher for over 20 years, and yes, I work for the children of Hawaii. I believe that no one can really understand the situations at the school level unless you have worked for the DOE system. The concern is not because we did not like what Matayoshi wanted us to do because we are not blaming just one person. It's the system that needs to be overhauled.  Enough of the top down, one-size fits all mandates.  Do you know that almost every year, the principals and the teachers are asked to change the programs, curriculum, standards, etc.? It's mandated by people who have not worked at schools or with students. This is one of the reasons why the superintendent needs to have school level experience so they have the knowledge on how to support the schools to meet the needs of our children.