"If men were angels, government would not be necessary." — Federalist No. 51.

Founding Father James Madison, writing in the Federalist papers, recognized the necessity of limiting the political power available to naturally ambitious citizens in a democracy in order to prevent abuse and corruption.

However imperfectly, the Hawaii Board of Education used to function as the people’s voice in the area of public education.

This changed two years ago when Hawaii’s voters narrowly chose to amend the state Constitution to allow the governor to appoint BOE members, in addition to selecting the Department of Education superintendent.

This new structure gives the governor excessive influence.

The results have been disastrous for public education in Hawaii. Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s public education agenda has been to rubber-stamp the corporate-driven reforms formulated during the Lingle administration and incorporated in Hawaii’s Race to the Top grant application.

Unfortunately, this approach lacks a solid foundation in unbiased research, overly emphasizes bubble-tests instead of critical thinking, and has come under increasing criticism around the nation.

At the same time, major corporate players have reaped huge profits selling new tests, test-prep aids and standardized curricula to school districts already strapped for cash.

For-profit companies have been awarded lucrative contracts to manage public schools, and vouch-er systems have funneled public funds to private schools, many of which are religion-based.

There is little evidence that students have benefitted from these arrangements, but shareholders and investors have done very well.

In Hawaii, the lack of public discussion over this corporate raiding of our public schools has much to do ith the airtight alignment between the governor, the BOE and the DOE.

Most of the BOE has been appointed out of Hawaii’s corporate boardrooms; only one has any experience as an educator. This is dangerous to the public interest because business interests are represented over the public interest. The BOE essentially operates as a rubber stamp for the governor.

The changed nature of the BOE is vividly clear at its meetings, where it is painfully obvious that most are barely listening during public testimony, even that of students. Regardless of what is said, who says it, or how many say it, the BOE moves ahead with its predetermined decisions.

The BOE’s stated mission is "to equip all public school students with the skills and knowledge required to lead them into lives of responsible citizenship."

It is meant to provide a space for democratic decision-making about the education of our children, a space for parents, teachers and community members to come together and make the substantive decisions about our shared purpose and vision for our community’s future.

No purpose could be more important. But as unelected, insulated members of Hawaii’s corporate elite, the question must be asked: Does the BOE serve our children, or the governor and the interests of big business?

Madison understood that men are not angels, and so we need government. But our government institutions must be arranged to protect and promote the public interest, and checks must be established to provide the people with effective oversight.

The current arrangement of the BOE, however, tends toward private interests and overly concentrated power without check, an arrangement the founders knew would be dangerous and that we need to change.