Educators are anxious about federal spending cuts and more
Posted: February 14, 2025
Our members across Hawaiʻi have told us they are deeply concerned about potentially sweeping changes to educational policies and budgets being implemented by the Trump administration, including an attempt to dismantle the 46-year-old U.S. Department of Education.
HSTA’s national affiliate, the National Education Association, is leading and coordinating efforts to protect public school students and educators and fight back against efforts to slash budgets, programs and more. The NEA has just launched a landing page with the latest information: NEA Protect Public Education.
NEA has created an easy way for members to reach out to our federal legislators if you do not support the Trump administration’s actions that will adversely affect students and schools.
Immigration guidance compiled by the National Education Association lays out information regarding immigration and schools, including information about enrollment issues, how educators can safely engage in immigration advocacy, a FAQ about mass raids, a Know Your Rights guide for immigration enforcement, and an update on the DACA program.
Educators can also follow HSTA and NEA on social media, where both organizations post breaking news and updates. If you are an HSTA member, please be sure you are signed up for and are receiving HSTA’s weekly Member Matters email updates.
Most important, the power of union members like you strengthens HSTA’s ability to advocate for our schools. Our staff and leaders remain in frequent contact with key state and federal decision-makers—including the schools superintendent, state legislators, Gov. Josh Green, and our congressional delegation.
Just this week, HSTA President Osa Tui, Vice President Logan Okita, Secretary-Treasurer Cheney Kaku, NEA Director Aaron Kubo, and Government Relations Committee Chair Hope McKeen are in Washington, D.C., for key meetings advocating on behalf of our members and students. They were joined in the nation’s capital by HSTA Executive Director Ann Mahi, Deputy Executive Director Andrea Eshelman, and Government Relations Specialist Jason Bradshaw. Some of them attended a rally Wednesday protesting the Trump education cuts, which received widespread local news coverage across TV, digital and print media.
While public education is primarily a state responsibility, certain federal laws—such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and other civil rights protections—require states to comply with specific obligations in order to receive federal funding.
Here is a breakdown of the federal funding received by the DOE: Hawai’i DOE Budget.
- The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education receives nearly 11% of its annual funding from the federal government.
- Federal funds help support programs like:
- Impact Aid (for military-dependent students)
- Title 1 funding (for disadvantaged students).
- Some of these funds also require states to maintain academic standards and administer standardized testing.
- Federal funds help support programs like:
Should there be any federal funding cuts, the state will need to assess their impact on Hawaiʻi public schools. However, at this time, there is no indication that teaching positions will be affected. Even in the unlikely event of staff reductions, our contractual protections ensure a structured process. Given the current teacher shortage and high number of emergency hires, we do not anticipate layoffs for tenured or probationary teachers.