​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Click image to view the issue.​ 

The New Year has brought a wave of change and for many, these changes have caused a sense of unrest — whether it’s the change in federal leadership and the ripple effects stemming from a new administration, or the change in state educational leadership and what that might mean for program implementation, system trajectory, and more.

It is easy to be distracted by the “what ifs,” and so it is even more important we all stay focused on what matters most: students.

Hawai‘i’s students have done really well over the last few years. It wasn’t easy — I can attest to that, as can thousands of our teachers, leaders and support staff. But the heavy lifting of reform has created a sea change in our public schools. Hawai‘i’s public school students are more ready for careers and college than ever before (see box).