Maui’s Rep. Woodson participates in two-year study aimed at transforming education

A bipartisan study group of 20 education legislators and legislative staff across the United States, including State House Representative Justin Woodson, has released their findings in a new report which calls on colleagues to act now to rebuild an education system that better meets the needs of every student.

The report “The Time is Now: Reimagining World-Class State Education Systems” highlights stagnancy in state education systems across the nation and outlines the struggles students have faced in college and career preparation due to the pandemic.

“Our keiki and educators have worked tirelessly to recover from the past few years of disrupted learning,” said Rep. Woodson in a news release. “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 that met monthly during 2020-2021 poured over research and heard from international experts about the common policy framework found in the best systems. Together, the group reconfirmed steps states can take immediately to improve their education system which includes: 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.

Established by the National Center on Education and the Economy and the Southern Regional Education Board, the 2020-2021 cohort of the Legislative International Education Study Group embarked on a two-year study of the highest-performing education systems throughout the pandemic.

Representative Justin Woodson serves House District 9, which includes the areas of Kahului, Puʻunēnē, and portions of Wailuku.