Response: "Kids in the Cafe"

Jean Martin Alternado’s “Kids in The Cafe” (5/13/24) points out the pros and cons of having classes in the cafe here at Lahainaluna High School. At one point he includes a 2021 Study by Hansen and Quintero that reported that for every teacher’s absence, students have a reduced 3% chance of not taking the course information. Yet, overall, the article seems to suggests that most students favored being in the Cafe as a way to have a study hall. Those opinions have come from just a handful of students whilst the article does mention that so many students spend time in the cafe not doing their course work.

From data gathered on the 2022-23 Smarter Balanced Test, Lahainaluna has been scoring below the national average with most students scoring in the 30% percentile. As of 2022-2023 U.S News has reported that at Lahainaluna only 84% of enrolled students end up graduating; for the 1,037 students enrolled at the school only 871 would graduate. With an increased amount of teacher absences, classes are increasingly held in the cafeteria and are given online materials rather than in-person instruction.

The information is conflicting in itself since a student-paced study hall in the cafe is determined by what the students do themselves. Classes in the cafe are not a reliable solution. The only solution to a part of the problem would have teachers accommodate big classes--but a lack of teachers is part of the reason why students are in the cafe. This solution would only be temporary as it would only increase the already heavy workloads of Lahainaluna’s teachers.