[ OUR OPINION ]
ESTABLISHING a comprehensive program to advance learning from early childhood to college may launch significant improvements in public education at a crucial period for the state. The program links the pivotal elements needed to help advance and restore faith in Hawaii's education system. Education problems
need coordinated solutions
THE ISSUE A new program integrates all levels of public education in Hawaii.
The commitment to the "P-20 Initiative" by the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii and Good Beginning Alliance sensibly recognizes that progress can best be made through a united front. The initiative encompasses the needs of children from preschool through higher education, raises academic standards and pushes for better training for teachers. A steadfast effort should be made by legislators and political leaders to provide necessary funds so the program can succeed.
"P-20," so named for provisions for learning for 20 years of schooling, has been one of UH President Evan Dobelle's priorities. The idea is to create a "seamless" education system by increasing the number of teachers the university produces, finding ways to retain those already teaching and helping them to upgrade their skills, setting up preschools for the estimated 8,000 children who begin kindergarten without such experiences, aligning curriculum and standards and aiding students' transitions through all levels of education.
A council to oversee and guide the program will be formed with all stakeholders, including the university president and its Board of Regents, the public schools superintendent and the Board of Education, the alliance's leaders, labor unions, parent groups, independent schools and colleges and the governor's office.
In the past, the public education system has operated as separate entities, with little coordination between lower and higher education. While they may not have worked at cross purposes, the lack of integration causes stutters and starts for students going from high schools to the university or colleges and for newly graduated teachers entering the classrooms. What has been taught in public schools may not have prepared students for higher education, and training for teachers may not have been aligned with DOE standards.
When regarded as a whole, the system can better serve students and operate with fewer flaws for teachers and administrators. The initiative is falling in place at a time when new demands on education are being made by the federal government and, more keenly, by the public. The initiative is a step forward for Hawaii's schools.
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