The call for a leadership change at the state Department of Education by a group of former principals has generated various opinions about what’s taking place in our public schools.

The call further doesn’t recognize the monumental progress that our students and educators have been making.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on our past.

In 2009, our state was in a budget crisis and public education reached bottom with Furlough Fridays and failing one-size-fits-all reforms such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Those were dark days for our public education system.

We have come a long way.

Our schools entered a new path with Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, who was brought on by her predecessor to spearhead a collaborative and ambitious effort to transform Hawaii’s entire education system.

School administrators, teachers, government and community leaders — who were told to "dream big" for students — joined forces to redefine education in Hawaii with a shared goal: Ensure all children graduate ready to pursue their dreams in a global society.

Our blueprint for staff and student success was rewarded with a $75 million Race to the Top grant, which served as a key catalyst for systemwide improvement.

Soon after, the DOE and the state Board of Education, for the first time, created a joint Strategic Plan, making student achievement its core.

We also replaced NCLB’s top-down accountability model with a system developed from the bottom-up — by Hawaii educators, parents and the community — to serve the needs of our island students.

Aligned to our Strategic Plan goals, the new Strive HI Performance System measures not just test scores but also student growth, readiness, graduation rates and absenteeism, among other meaningful factors that paint a true picture of a school’s health and ensure every child and educator are supported.

Teachers intrinsically want to improve. Good teachers want to be better teachers. The DOE worked with teachers on the Educator Effectiveness System and partnered with principals on a Comprehensive Evaluation System for School Administrators — both meant to help educators reflect and improve on their practice.

Performance evaluations are a challenge and a burden for many principals and teachers. Part of this process allows for refinement. Yet, we are encouraged by principals and teachers who tell us they’ve set personal goals based on feedback received this year.

In short, we have raised expectations for students, for ourselves as leaders, for our educators and our community.

Our students, not surprisingly, have risen to the challenge. The results speak for themselves: more students taking Advanced Placement classes and passing AP tests; unprece-dented growth in math and reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress; more students enrolling in college, and fewer students needing college remediation.

Students across the state have made phenomenal achievements, some of which have been highlighted in the media.

However, you may not have heard about the Kalaheo valedictorian who declined appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point so she can attend Yale University on an Air Force scholarship. Or about the young man on Maui who led the Sabers to their fourth consecutive Hawaii Science Bowl championship, who will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.

There are countless inspiring stories that exemplify what is possible when students make the best of their opportunities and apply themselves to achieve excellence.

Behind every successful student are caring educators dedicated to their craft and a revitalized system focused on achievement.

Change of this magnitude is hard; it creates anxiety, uncertainty and a lot of work. But when change helps a child become an immigrant family’s first college student, when change opens doors students never thought were within reach, then change is worth it.

As educators we are proud of the success that our students are making, and take pride, too, that we are at a turning point in improving education in Hawaii for the long run.