Hawai‘i politician behind national education report

A nationwide, bipartisan study group of 20 education legislators and legislative staff has published a report finding stagnancy in state education systems across the United States.

Hawai‘i State House Rep. Justin Woodson (District 19 – areas of Kahului, Puʻunēnē and portions of Wailuku on Maui) is a member of the study group behind “The Time is Now: Reimagining World-Class State Education Systems,” which outlines struggles students have faced in college and career preparation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our keiki and educators have worked tirelessly to recover from the past few years of disrupted learning,” Rep. Woodson said in a recent announcement from the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives. “In meeting with teachers and education legislators across the country, we recognize more needs to be done to support our teachers and to meet the needs of all our students.”

The study group met monthly during 2020 and 2021 to pore over research and hear from international experts about common policy frameworks found in the best educational systems, according to the House announcement.

Steps states can take immediately to improve their education system, according to the study group, include building an inclusive team and setting priorities; studying and learning from top performers; creating a shared statewide vision; benchmarking policies; and investing time in students.

“The economies today will shape the global norms of tomorrow. For the United States to stay ahead, we need to maximize all American children’s human potential starting now,” said Rep. Woodson.

The 2020-2021 cohort of the Legislative International Education Study Group was established by the National Center on Education and the Economy and the Southern Regional Education Board.

For more information about NCEE, the cohort and its findings, click here.

To read the cohort’s report in full, click here.