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Federal Funding Fears Dampen Progress on Ed Bills It has been discouraging to see many good bills with plans to improve education and family horizons be deferred, not heard, or voted down.


Today I submitted testimony on the Early Learning Apprentice program bill HB549. We had submitted testimony previously to the House Education committee. But testimony today went to the Senate Ways and Means committee. It is so essential that we expand capacity to provide quality care for our youngest children, and we cannot expand unless we have qualitied trained educators and caregivers.

We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2025 legislative session.

Here are a few bills that we have supported so far.


Preschool expansion -- HB692 HD1 SD1 (Companion SB712)

Expands the Preschool Open Doors Program's eligibility criteria. Repeals the requirement that Preschool Open Doors Program providers be accredited.


Dyslexia screening -- HB637 HD1 (Companion SB1001)

Requires the Department of Education to implement dyslexia sensitive universal screenings and evidence-based interventions, offer professional development on structured literacy and evidenced-based interventions, and support pre-teacher programs in training candidates in structured literary instruction.


Community Schools -- HB754 HD2 (Companion SB821)

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for community schools and a program manager position.


School Capital Improvement -- HB636 HD2 (Companion SB449)

Establishes a school capital improvement project modernization initiative in the School Facilities Authority to create a planning database for school facilities.

School Cellphone Ban Bills


Several bills addressing cell phone bans in Hawaii schools are still under consideration in the legislature:


House Bills:

• HB 289: Proposes a statewide ban on cell phone use during instructional hours, along with restrictions on social media access and an educational campaign about social media effects. This bill is still active16.

• HB 485: Seeks to establish comprehensive DOE policies on cell phone use, including designated areas for usage and enforcement mechanisms. This bill remains viable1.

• HB 1224 and HB 1195: Both propose identical statewide bans on student cell phone use during instructional hours. These bills are still under review13.

• HB 1303: Focuses on managing various electronic devices in schools, addressing issues like attention spans and online harassment. It is also under consideration.


Senate Bill:

• SB 684: Calls for a complete ban on cell phone use in DOE schools. However, this bill was deferred by the Senate Education Committee on February 5, 2025, making its future uncertain4.


The legislative session is ongoing, and these bills could still advance depending on committee decisions and further deliberations.


If Federal Funding to HI DOE Ceases, What is At Risk:

What types of funding might we lose with the elimination of the federal Department of Education?  Hawai‘i gets 11% of its education budget from the feds = $233M.

The Institute for Educational Leadership lists the following national line items at risk:

  • Title 1 - Aid to schools in high poverty areas $18.4 billion
  • IDEA - Aid to students with disabilities $15.5 billion
  • Pell Grants - Needs-based undergraduate student loans $33 billion
  • Title IV - Student loan program $1.6 trillion (45 million students)
  • Community Schools - $150 million
  • Promise Neighborhoods - $91 million
  • 21st Century Learning Centers - Out-of-school time programs $1.3 billion
  • CTE - $2.2 billion
  • Rural Programs $154 billion
  • Additional programs: Nation’s Report Card, Institute of Education Sciences, Statewide Education Centers, ELL Student programs


If you are interested in protesting federal cuts and changes, there are events occurring locally. Please share information about your views and events. The link below goes to several events on various islands.

HandsOff Hawai‘i Events Across the Islands

HE‘E Testimony - for your convenience

Community Schools

Teacher NBCT salary bump increase

Teacher salary for longevity Community Schools

Dyslexia Screening

Early Learning Expansion

Early Learning Apprentice Program Support

Free School Meals

Cellphone Ban - letter to House and Senate chairs due to no scheduled hearings

For Reference Background: HI DOE Commissioned Council of Great City Schools Review notes

Council of Great City Schools Report Overview It is very positive that the HI DOE requested that the CGCS research our district from state, to complexes, to schools, and provide a report with commendations and recommendations for growth. Supt. Hayashi presented the findings to the Board of Education meeting Dec 13th as we reported last month. CGCS noted the high respect for the supt throughout the district and noted that our student achievement is mostly on a par wtih other districts.


The CGCS report raises problematic needs and issues we have been discussing throughout 2024 Integration of systems, Collaboration between departments, Coherent curriculum provided by the district, Disadvantageous policies on district vs school authority, Advanced digital resources Too "tall" an accountability model. We have been concerned that lacks in those areas are limiting student growth, attendance, and family engagement. Below are the specific recommendations from the CGCS. (We note that the report does not address family engagement.)

CGCS Recommendations:


1) Establish, implement, and monitor a systemic framework balancing complex area/school autonomy with system-wide consistency, ensuring equitable education for all HIDOE students. Develop clear structures, processes, guidelines, and standards for essential practices while preserving local decision making. Communicate this framework clearly throughout the organization. 


2) Implement an extensive data management strategy to consolidate and streamline the HIDOE's fragmented data systems.


3) Establish a comprehensive, multi-year program to develop and implement key performance indicators (KPIs) and other relevant performance metrics. Implement regular review cycles to assess the new structure's effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. This long-term initiative will drive data-informed decision-making, improve educational outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency across the HIDOE. 


4) Review and streamline HIDOE's administrative structure and workflows to enhance efficiency and responsiveness. Reduce the number of hierarchical layers to eliminate bottlenecks and simplify decision-making processes from the state level to the local level, enabling more agile and responsive management practices.


5) Leverage state-of-the-art technology to automate routine tasks, improve communication, and track progress effectively across the organization. 


6) Charge the deputy superintendent of Academics along with the assistant superintendent, the content and career readiness experts, and a team of the HIDOE’s expert teachers with defining what high quality, rigorous, standards-based instruction looks like and what it does not look like at each grade level (this can be used to create the portrait of a high school graduate). Articulate what student work should look like when instruction meets HIDOE expectations independent of the materials used.


7) All levels of the organization (e.g., HIDOE staff, CAS staff, school staff, teachers, and support staff) should use student data and root cause analyses to improve student learning outcomes. State office work should be directly relevant to CAS needs and address leadership, teaching, and learning challenges. 


8) Establish SMART goals for improving student outcomes across the state and regularly measure and report progress toward accomplishing those goals throughout the organization.


9) Create and invest in a research, evaluation, and strategic planning branch in OSIP designed to help evaluate programs' implementation or effectiveness and help aid the HIDOE in strategically examining questions from leadership and the board, or in support of other offices.


10) Move towards a common HIDOE-wide formative assessment.


11) Implement the recommended organizational change strategies to ensure an efficient and effective reorganization of HIDOE offices, prioritizing student success, operational excellence, and employee-centric practices.


12) Implement the recommended organizational change strategies to ensure an efficient and effective reorganization of HIDOE offices, prioritizing student success, operational excellence, and employee-centric practices. 


13)  Reduce the number of direct reports to the Superintendent to achieve a streamlined structure that allows the superintendent to focus on high-level strategic decision-making and system-wide challenges.

Mahalo for all you do! - Deborah