Hawaii senator honored by charter school group

HONOLULU (AP) - The chairwoman of Hawaii's Senate Education Committee is among seven lawmakers honored nationally for championing public charter schools.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools named Sen. Jill Tokuda as one the elected officials nationwide who have worked to advance the growth and success of charter schools.

Tokuda and the others were honored at a reception Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono says Tokuda's task force on charter school governance and her state bill led to dramatic improvements in transparency and accountability in Hawaii's charter school law.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard says Tokuda is committed to ensuring all of Hawaii's children have access to quality education.

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