Gubernatorial election could affect future of public education in Hawaii

As a product of public education whose mother was a public school teacher, I’ve been a supporter of change within our Hawaii public schools for many years. Our education system represents almost one-third of the state’s budget and our children are indeed the future of Hawaii.

The candidates for governor have been troublingly silent on public education issues to this point in the campaign. To make sure we choose the right candidate for governor for the future of our state’s public education system, I would respectfully ask six questions:

» Do you support the new initiatives of the Board of Education/Department of Education of requiring performance feedback through the implementation of a teacher and principal evaluation system based in part on student results?

» Do you support the new BOE/DOE initiatives of a set of statewide Common Core standards and graduation requirements that will raise the bar that ensures our children are educationally prepared for 21st century employment?

» Do you support the BOE/ DOE’s new strategic plan that sets out clear objectives and accountability for student achievement and staff development support, as well as school infrastructure improvements that would reduce state office administrative costs and put more money in the classroom?

» Do you support the new BOE/DOE policy of requiring all public and charter schools to be fully accredited (same as private schools)?

» Do you support the appointed board’s overall direction and positive achievements, or do you favor a return to the old elected board?

» Do you support the proposed constitutional amendment to allow a public-private partnership for delivering preschool education to Hawaii’s keiki? At whatever level of funding the Legislature decides, a public-private system is 50 percent less expensive than a fully DOE-run system. The proposed amendment states this would not create a voucher system.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently came to Hawaii from Washington, D.C., to review Hawaii’s new initiatives. He said our educational system over the last three years had shown amazing leadership, courage and vision — and the only way you get better is to challenge the status quo.

He went on to say that "the progress has been extraordinary. Hawaii by any objective measure is one of the fastest-improving states in the nation — top five states, that’s top 10 percent in the nation."

I agree.

Notably, Hawaii is No. 1 among all states in student achievement gains on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) over the last 10 years.

Also, for the first time since NAEP began, Hawaii DOE schools exceeded the national average in fourth-grade math last year.

We still have much work to do, and some mistakes have been made in the transition. However, we have made significant progress, thanks to our leadership and the hard work of teachers, principals, staff and students. We have strong momentum and charted a path to continued success.

I am hopeful that our candidates see and appreciate the results and build upon those, rather than return us to past political bickering.