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Meet and learn from Early Learning Hawai‘i Director Yuuko Arikawa-Cross
In person for lunch at 11:30am
1300 Halona Street
please click to email me so we can feed you!
| Tomorrow/Tuesday, we are meeting in a different PACT conference room at 1300 HALONA St. in Kalihi.
Park in the big parking lot and enter the building at the end. |
Hawaii State Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL)
The Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) is the lead state agency for early childhood in Hawaiʻi, coordinating and overseeing programs and policies that support children from prenatal stages to entry into kindergarten. EOEL administers state-funded prekindergarten (Pre-K) programs, focusing especially on underserved or at-risk children. Its mission is to foster each child’s optimal growth and learning through high-quality early childhood experiences, emphasizing safe, caring, and equitable environments where children, families, and educators learn together.
Key Programs and Priorities
- EOEL Public Prekindergarten Program: Provides free pre-K for eligible three- and four-year-olds at participating public schools across the state. Priority is given to children from families with incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level and those facing other risk factors such as homelessness, foster care, or special education needs.
- Expansion Initiatives: EOEL and its partners are actively expanding classroom capacity statewide, especially through the Ready Keiki initiative, to ensure all three- and four-year-olds in Hawaiʻi have access to high-quality early learning opportunities by 2032.
- Collaboration and Equity: Programs are built on partnerships with public schools, the University of Hawaiʻi, community organizations, and a focus on culturally responsive teaching, including Hawaiian language-medium preschools.
- Workforce and Family Support: EOEL works to recruit and retain early childhood educators, support families, and ensure professional development and quality standards in all programs.
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Yuuko Arikawa-Cross — Director of EOEL
Yuuko Arikawa-Cross has been the Executive Director of EOEL since May 2022. She leads the office’s efforts to expand and enhance early learning opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s youngest children.
Background and Leadership
- Experience: Arikawa-Cross’s background includes more than two decades in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, most recently as principal and, before that, assistant principal at Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School. There, she played a key role in developing inclusive preschool programs and promoting learning for all students.
- Vision: She focuses on meeting the needs of Hawaiʻi families by building collaborative partnerships, recruiting and retaining qualified early childhood educators, and increasing access to high-quality early learning. Arikawa-Cross is committed to putting children at the center of decisions and supporting family-centered, culturally relevant practices.
- Leadership in Action: Under her direction, EOEL has overseen significant preschool expansion, prioritized at-risk and underserved children, and advocated for systemic investments to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s early childhood workforce and infrastructure.
Education
- Degrees: Arikawa-Cross is an alumna of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, holding a BEd in Elementary Education and an MEd in Educational Foundations: Educational Leadership.
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We are eager to hear how early childhood is growing across our state!
Join us to meet Early Learning (EOEL) Exec Director, Yuuko Arikawa-Cross Tuesday for lunch.
Park in the big parking lot at PACT @ 1300 Hirona St. in Kalihi- - we will meet in a conference room in the main building at the end of the big parking lot.
| Please email me if you can make it to lunch so we have enough amd come at 11:30am to fill your plate. :) If you cannot join us in person, Please login at this zoom link at noon:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81879360051pwd=fnvsL8wFZ1CJNgqek44kxsNNGFDLV7.1 | |
Good News!
2nd Hawaiian Immersion Classroom Restored for Pū‘ōhala School!
| After meetings with the principal, the BOE, the complex superintendent, press conference, then a tour with Supt. Hayashi and Deputy Supt. Armstrong- all have figured a way to maintain the two classrooms! Hui Makua o Pũ‘õhala School has, the teachers, students and families have maintained this important continuity of education. We applaud them! | FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING
FREEZE STATUS | |
The lawsuit from Hawai‘i, 22 other states and the District of Columbia against the U.S. Department of Education was filed to force the release of the frozen federal K-12 education funds, arguing the freeze was unlawful and unconstitutional.
As of July 25, 2025, there is confirmation that the U.S. Department of Education has released the previously withheld money to the states.
Initially, the funds—more than $6.8 billion nationwide—were held back starting July 1, 2025, affecting programs for English learners, migrant students, teacher training, afterschool programs, and adult education, among others. The multi-state lawsuit was critical in pushing for the release, but it was federal administrative action that ultimately freed the funds.
| June 24th Meeting Update from HI DOE CFO Brian Hallett and three of his staff | |
We were worried about cuts that could endanger education and family services in Hawai‘i and across the nation. Brian described the "forward funding" done by the US ED. When funding is approved by congress for the upcoming year, it cannot legally be withheld. For this reason, he felt assured that the funds budgeted for the 2025-26 school year from the US ED would be secure. We were pleased and hopeful to hear this.
Then this past week we learned of freezes in this funding - part of which has been released now. The freezes occurred after the administration began a review to determine if spending aligned with its policy priorities. While some funds were released late in the week, the vast majority remain on hold.
Brian has provided us with insight into this again. He notes that the 21st Century Learning Center funds have been released, five more funds remain frozen, but he expects all to flow. Since 10 Republican senators are joining Democrats to protect this funding, he does not believe it would be possible for the Dept of Ed to withhold them. Concerns for the 2026-27 funding remain. - see more detail below
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In addition to direct HI DOE funding, we were and are concerned that:
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Gov. Josh Green vetoed Education line items - details below
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UH and other related institutions have already sustained cuts that will impact Hawai‘i K12 schools and families - details below
| June 27th Gov Green’s line item vetos of Education Funding | Green’s line-item vetoes of $90 million for school support operations in the Department of Education represents less than half a percent of the budget. The DOE will now receive $380 million in 2026 and $378 million the following year for school support operations. The entire DOE budget is around $2.6 billion in each of the next two years. | Funding Cuts to Education Programs Outside the DOE Impacting HI DOE Schools | This year UH has seen dozens of federal grants to education, STEM, and outreach cut, frozen, or terminated, resulting in an abrupt loss of funding and workforce for programs that serve or partner with Hawaii DOE schools. | |
UH reported by late May 2025 that 80 federally funded grants were affected—including 69 outright terminations—totaling approximately $83.4 million in lost funding and impacting more than 90 employees.
- Many of the defunded, frozen, or canceled projects involve areas that overlap with Hawaii DOE priorities, including medicine, climate science, agriculture, and education.
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NSF and NIH Policy Changes:
- As of May 5, 2025, the National Science Foundation (NSF) capped indirect cost recovery on all new grants at 15%, down from typical rates of around 50%. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Energy have taken similar actions.
- These policies immediately reduce UH’s ability to sustain many grant-supported outreach and professional development programs that historically serve DOE teachers and students.
Discontinued or Suspended UH-Derived Programs
- Suspension of Merit Pay and New Hires:
- Due to financial instability, UH suspended merit pay increases, implemented a hiring freeze, and restricted nonessential travel for all staff associated with grant-based programming.
- This affects UH faculty and staff who collaborate with or provide training to DOE schools and teachers.
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Program-Specific Impacts:
- Multiple education and teacher outreach grants run jointly by UH and K-12 entities were either terminated or put under stop-work orders.
- Researchers working on projects tied to K-12 education—including teacher training, curriculum improvement, and STEM education access—have had contracts halted or funding rescinded. These losses threaten ongoing professional development and student pipeline programs for DOE schools.
Grant Cancellations in Key Fields
- STEM, Agriculture, and Food Security:
- A $30 million USDA grant to increase food security (including school nutrition and agriculture education collaborations) was canceled in July 2025.
- Terminated grants include projects in medicine, public health (with student pathways into these careers), climate change science, and educational support for underrepresented communities—areas that interface with K-12 schools.
Implications for Hawaii DOE Schools
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Direct Loss of Services:
- School-based STEM outreach, enrichment programs, professional development for teachers, and university partnership initiatives are at risk of suspension or reduction due to UH-driven grant losses.
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Fewer Opportunities:
- Recruitment pipelines and dual-enrollment programs, especially in critical fields like STEM, public health, and food security, may be limited.
| Detail on the $6 Billion in US Department of Education Funds Frozen |
Funds That Were Frozen
The following major federal education grant programs saw their disbursements halted:
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B):
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$1.3–$1.4 billion for after-school and summer programs was frozen but was released on July 18 after intense public and political pressure. This program supports school districts in providing academic enrichment outside of regular school hours, particularly for underserved students.
Remaining Funds Still Frozen (Totaling Over $5 Billion):
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Title II-A: $2.2 billion for professional development and support for teachers and principals.
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Title III-A: $890 million for English learner instruction and support.
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Title I-C: $375 million for migrant student education.
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Title IV-A: $1.3 billion for student academic enrichment, including mental health, well-rounded education, and child safety.
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Adult Education Grants: $629.6 million for basic adult literacy and general instruction, and $85.9 million for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education for adults.
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Other smaller programs supporting academic support services, migrant education, and disadvantaged student services
| Insurance We Need to Beat the Freeze =
10 Republican Senators Object to the Education Department Funding Freeze | |
A group of 10 Republican senators publicly objected to the Trump administration’s decision in July 2025 to freeze more than $6 billion in federal education funding that was already appropriated by Congress for K–12 school districts. Their stance was a rare public break within the party regarding education policy, with these lawmakers urging the administration to immediately release the funds to states and local school districts.
The Senators
The group was led by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia). According to multiple news reports, the following senators signed the letter objecting to the funding freeze:
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Jim Justice, West Virginia
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
John Thune, South Dakota
Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Susan Collins, Maine
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
Kevin Cramer, North Dakota
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Their letter argued that withholding these congressionally approved funds was contrary to the stated policy goal of returning control over education to the states and local communities. The funds in question supported programs with longstanding bipartisan support, such as after-school, summer, teacher development, and language learning programs.
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August 12th Meeting
"Early Childhood Learning in Hawai‘i"
Come in person or join by zoom to learn from Yuuko Arikawa-Cross about how programs are growing and doing. Bring your questions and comments for a good discussion and a delicious lunch
| Exec Director of EOEL, Yuuko Arikawa-Cross has been helpful informing me on the complex ways the various types of early learning services are established and how they relate to the DOE. I am still learning! Yuuko is going to meet with us to help us all to understand and support the growth of early learning at our August 12th meeting at PACT. | |
