Public education is the most important function of government. It is the foundation of our democracy. The quality of the public school system determines the quality of life in Hawaii; we all have a stake and must get actively involved in making improvements.

As a parent with two children in public schools, I know that they do a good job today. The high school graduate in the class of 2000 clearly has learned more and has better knowledge skills than the graduate in the class of 1950. As an engineer in a technology-based, global company, however, I also know that we must continue to strive for higher achievement. We must ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge to compete and succeed in the 21st century.

There are three fundamental changes that we need to make to initiate a quantum improvement in public schools.

First, we must empower schools to make all decisions. The principals, teachers, parents, and staff closest to the children are in the best position to design an environment that challenges students and inspires learning. We must free schools from the bureaucracy and trust that they will focus on the needs of the children. We must encourage schools to be innovative and creative, to do everything differently than it was done in the past.

Next, we must give the schools 100 percent of the money spent on education. We cannot continue to allow the bureaucracy to feed its needs ahead of those of schools and students. Only when the schools control all the funds will the bureaucracy truly be school and student centered. Once schools control all funds, we will end the debate about whether the administration of the public schools is top heavy or not. Schools will identify the services that add value to their mission, and eliminate those that only serve the bureaucracy.

Finally, we need to give each and every parent a choice to select the public school that best meets the needs of their child. We must use competition to create and encourage schools to make and keep promises about high performance. We must have the courage to close or re-create schools that are not working. We cannot continue to create learning monopolies in our communities that breed complacency and can create a school that is not challenged to do its best. Private school vouchers are not the answer.

There are many innovations, such as school-within-schools, charter and new century schools, and re-drawing school boundaries to include more than one public school, which will offer parents choice without significant increase in cost. We can provide the benefits of competition for students while embracing the basic tenets of public education.

These three strategic changes will provide a foundation for higher achievement. We must renew our vow that public education is a commitment to use any and all means necessary to ensure that every child learns critical skills required to be a successful global citizen.