HE'E News
HE'E sends a big mahalo to Department of Education Assistant Superintendent & Chief Financial Officer, Office of Fiscal Services Amy Kunz and Director of Policy, Innovation, Planning, and Evaluation Stephanie Shipton for their presentations to Coalition members. The presentation on DOE's Fiscal Biennium Budget 2015-2017 is here. The presentation on Access Learning will be posted later when available.
Legislative News
The 2015 Legislative Session opened on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. HE'E has been receiving updates from the Education Chairs on prospective bills for the Education Committee this session. For a list of education related bills from Education Chair Senator Michelle Kidani's office please click
here.
The following bills are aligned with Coalition past discussions and that we will likely support.
Because committee hearings will technically start on Friday, January 30, 2015, we will ask voting members to vote on these bills shortly.
SB822: Department of Education; Student Instructional Hours
Description: Applies the requirement for all public secondary schools to implement a school year that includes 990 student instructional hours to all school years beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Repeals the requirement that by the 2016-2018 school years, all public schools implement a school year of 180 days and 1,080 student instructional hours for both elementary and secondary school grades. Clarifies that the definition of "student instructional hours" shall be determined by the board of education in consultation with the exclusive representatives of the appropriate bargaining units. Link to bill is
here.
Rationale for Support: Coalition supported this bill in last year's session. Latest poll of voting members indicated a lack of consensus to support a total repeal of the law.
SB843: Early Childhood Education; Housekeeping
Description: Amends or repeals provisions of Chapters 302A and 302L, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as related to early childhood education, for housekeeping and other purposes. Link to bill is
here.Rationale for Support: Coalition agrees with making definition of "early education" consistent in statue. Bill defines early education to be "developmentally appropriate early childhood development and education program for children from birth until the time they enter kindergarten."
SB844: Executive Office on Early Learning Prekindergarten Program
Description: Establishes the Executive Office on Early Learning Prekindergarten Program to be administered by the Executive Office on Early Learning and provided through Department of Education public schools and public charter schools. Link to bill is
here.
Rationale for Support: Coalition supports a Prekindergarten Program administered by the Executive Office on Early Learning. Legislation gives priority to underserved and at-risk children, focuses on quality standards, professional development, data collection and family engagement.
SB847: Teachers; Incentives
Description: Authorizes an additional per year bonus for teachers who maintain current national board certification and teach at a school in a focus, priority, or superintendent's zone under the National Board Certification Incentive Program. Link to bill is
here. Rationale for Support: Coalition supports incentives for highly qualified teachers. At the same time, Coalition also wants to introduce the idea for incentives for new teachers to help stem their high turnover rate.
We will also follow the budget hearings as there are items in the budget that Coalition members wanted to follow.
There are other bills which have been introduced to the Coalition by member/participant organizations or bills that are associated with themes that the Coalition has discussed. The bills are up on the
www.capitol.hawaii.gov website so please take a look. If members have a strong feeling about them, we can consider them for Coalition endorsement.
- SB819: Department of Education; Fundraising; Charitable Activity; Nonprofit Organizations; Student Learning. Description: Bars prohibition of student or class participation in a fundraiser or charitable activity in conjunction with a nonprofit organization as part of a school project when participation benefits student learning.
- SB845: Bullying; Safe Schools for All Students. Description: Requires certain state entities and grantees to adopt bullying prevention policies. Establishes a task force to assist the Governor with bullying prevention policies in the State.
- SB858: Afterschool Programs; Elementary-School Students; Appropriation. Description: Establishes a five-year evidence-based physical-activity and nutritional-education pilot program within the A+ Program in Hawaii's public elementary schools. Makes appropriations.
- SB866: After-School Plus (A+) Program; Appropriation. Description: Appropriates moneys for the After-School Plus (A+) Program.
Please send any comments or questions to cheri@heecoalition.org on the bills, proposed rationales or process of Coalition endorsement.
