EDUCATION

First and foremost, I support an education system that does not fail our students. With the enactment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Hawaii schools, and teachers in particular, are being pressed to produce tangible outcomes demonstrating student achievement. While student achievement should be the public education system's primary goal, policymakers must make certain that schools have the tools and resources necessary to fulfill the federal mandate. As your state Representative, I will continue to focus upon two key issues to positively impact education in District 40: qualified teaching professionals in our classrooms and resourced educational facilities.

For starters, since we know that a successful public education system begins with a qualified teacher in every classroom, I will continue to support the recruitment and retention of exceptional educators. As a staff member to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, Hawaii Policy Group, I drafted legislation to support professional development for public school teachers. While I believe that our educators must be held accountable, we must also equip them with the tools they need to ensure student achievement. I will continue to support professional development for this reason.

Secondly, while Kapolei boasts having the newest and most technologically advanced schools on Oahu, our schools are already overcrowded. As our district population grows, I am fighting for funds and creative ways of financing so that we can build our schools more expeditiously. I will work to ensure that as homes continue to be built, our schools are built concurrently.

Moreover, I will work to see that these schools are well-resourced. Creating and supporting adequate learning environments for our communities and staffing them with outstanding teachers will allow District 40 to meet NCLB requirements, and most importantly, it will provide students with the quality education they deserve.