Posted on: Thursday, October 16, 2003

EDITORIAL
Milken award winners show the positive

It's hard to open a car door around here without banging into someone complaining about our public schools.

And many of those complaints have merit. Our school system is in need of major improvement, both in quality of education and quality of infrastructure.

But such talk shouldn't obscure the fact that good — no, make that wonderful — teaching is happening in our public school classrooms.

Exhibits A and B for that point are Moanalua High School music director Elden Seta and calculus and algebra teacher Dewey Gottlieb II from Pearl City High School.

These two dedicated educators were surprised this week with the news that they had been selected as Milken Family Foundation National Educator awardees for Hawai'i. They are among just 100 select teachers honored for the excellence of their work and their devotion to education.

In addition to the well-deserved attention, Gottlieb and Seta will each receive a $25,000 prize.

Congratulations to both for making their schools, and Hawai'i, proud.