Issue Position: K-12 Education

Issue Position

Advocate at the legislature, that when considering tough budget choices post COVID-19, teachers are an essential, non-negotiable part of our state government.

Give principals additional power and resources to attend to minor repair and maintenance projects.

Continue to support partnerships between K-12 schools and community partners to allow for real-world experiences and support (such as Aina Pono, Waialua Robotics, commercialization)

Reduce the teacher shortage by expanding the salary bonus for teachers at hard-to-staff schools and by solving issues with pay compression among long-time DOE teachers

Educate the whole child by funding physical education, arts, vocational tech, and extra-curricular programs into the school day.

In order to move Hawai"i forward, education needs to be one of our top priorities. I am dedicated to finding common ground among parents, teachers, principals, small & large local businesses, industries and educational institutions to rebuild our schools. Every school in our state is uniquely different with their own distinct needs. I believe that a greater percentage of the money allocated for education needs to be given directly to the schools so they can determine how to best teach their students. As a product of the Hawai"i public school system I was privileged to attend school at a time when we had music and arts programs and a full time physical education teacher. Unfortunately, most schools in Hawai"i today don't offer these programs because of lack of funding, and I believe our children are suffering because of it. In the legislature I have introduced several bills over the years to encourage opportunities for a well-rounded education.

I've introduced legislation regarding physical education, computer science, vocational classes, and extra curricular support for programs like Future Farmers of America. I have advocated for having funding brought down to the school level to give principals and teachers more flexibility in how funds are allocated. In the 2019-2020 session I introduced a bill that would create discretionary sub accounts for schools to fund minor repair and maintenance projects that don't require an EIS or building permit. This is beneficial because those who work at the schools are the most familiar with the needs of their schools and it would help restore faith in government if families could see necessary repairs being done quickly to our schools. If we cut wasteful spending from the top and bring the money down to the level of the individual schools, we can take the first step toward a brighter future for our keiki.

In addition to my work at the legislature, I have been involved personally with the teachers and students in my district. I frequently visit classrooms to talk and answer questions about civics, governmental processes and to read to students. I conduct legislative tours for classes as well as host special tours during fall break so teachers, parents and their children can learn about the legislative process. I have also created a resource for students to learn how to have their voices heard. I designed the Hawai"i State Government Activity Book to provide a fun way to learn about our government. During the stay at home orders, I have distributed both a PDF version and hardcopy of the activity book to all of the elementary schools in my district to supplement the students' learning. Finally, I know how important hands-on experience is for our students so for the past eight years I have had a high school internship program in my office for students who are interested in getting involved in our government. As one of the co-conveners of the national Women's Legislative Caucus I have pushed for a formal internship program within the capitol and have been working with a committee to launch this initiative.

Source