The transitions to middle and high school are big exit points for students from Hawaii’s public school system into the private schools.

But now there’s a growing movement among public school parents to help other parents realize the positive aspects of keeping their kids in Department of Education schools after the elementary grades.

Here’s some evidence: Parents for Public Schools of Hawaii and the Hawaii Association of Middle Schools plan to host a roundtable talk this Friday with parents whose students will soon be entering middle school. Parents for Public Schools has also been staging tours of various middle schools throughout the state this year to get parents and community members familiar with what they have to offer.

The talk will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Ching Auditorium at Chaminade University.

Read the press release here.