Wanna weigh in on Hawaii’s plan to apply for a pass to shift away from federal No Child Left Behind education standards and develop its own?

The state Department of Education is asking the public to comment on the draft version of its application for an Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver. The deadline to provide input is Aug. 17.

The goal is to redefine the school accountability system through a complicated, multi-year process. But first, the state needs to get permission from the feds. Hawaii plans to submit its application by Sept. 6.

School officials discussed the issue Tuesday at the Board of Education’s regular meeting. Assistant Superintendent Ronn Nazoe emphasized that if Hawaii is granted this flexibility, it’s “not a pass on accountability for us.”

Several outstanding questions were identified for the community and education stakeholders to address. Check them out here.