Posted: February 14, 2021
Please join us in submitting testimony to the Hawaii State Board of Education ahead of its general business meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18. HSTA plans to ask the Board of Education to prioritize restoring all cuts to the weighted student formula (WSF) and special education per-pupil allocation (SPPA), which would eliminate the need for layoffs of any HIDOE employees, including all teachers. HSTA will further ask HIDOE to follow the law by using federal stimulus funding to avoid future pay cuts.
During Institute Week, HSTA leaders mentioned there will be times when we need to take collective action. Members, this is one of those times!
HIDOE wants to use federal funds for tutors
On Friday, the HIDOE released a revised plan explaining how it proposes to use $183.6 million in federal funds from the most recent COVID-19 federal relief package and approved by Congress at the end of last year. These federal funds could be used to end all layoffs and pay cuts while restoring school-level funding, but that’s not what the HIDOE asks for in its budget.
The department wants to spend nearly one-third of the federal aid funds ($48.5 million) on tutoring and academic coaching. HIDOE leaders want to add those services while budget cuts next school year would result in 1,000 school employees, including 700 teachers, losing their jobs, with various school enrichment programs slashed.
| Kishimoto’s stimulus proposal ($183 million) | |
|---|---|
| Unmet needs | $47.5 million |
| FY21 differentials | $32.5 million |
| Charter schools | $9 million |
| Reduction from base + 2.5% cut ($141 million needed) |
$14 million |
| Tutoring and academic coaching | $49 million |
| Summer school | $10 million |
| Computer devices | $7.5 million |
| COVID-19 health and safety | $15 million |
HSTA is asking the BOE to amend the HIDOE’s budget proposal to follow the intent of two bills being heard at the Legislature which would require the HIDOE to follow federal law and use the stimulus funding to prevent school layoffs and pay cuts.
Please submit BOE testimony against these proposals
Share your personal stories about how you, your school, and your students will be affected by potential budget and position cuts, along with the HIDOE’s proposal to use a large share of the latest federal stimulus funds on tutors instead of restoring funding for schools so they can retain teachers.
Feel free to use the following prompts as you draft your testimony:
- Why is it important to use these funds to retain our qualified teachers?
- How will these budget cuts and loss of positions affect you personally, or someone you know (without mentioning their name)?
- Do you know fellow teachers whose positions are being cut? How will these losses affect your students?
- Will your class sizes be larger? How large are they now? Will you be forced to teach multiple grades?
- Will you lose SPED teacher and educational assistant positions that are badly needed? How will this affect your school’s ability to meet IEP goals for your students?
- What subjects will your school have to cut (e.g., art, physical education, STEM, AVID, AP courses)? How will the loss of these subjects affect your students?
- Is another member in your family already out of work or dealing with reduced work hours because of the pandemic? Is your family surviving on your one income? Will this cause your family to have no income or leave the islands?
If you are comfortable sharing your name, school, and testimony publicly, please email testimony.BOE@boe.hawaii.gov by Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m., 24 hours before Thursday’s meeting.
Include the word “Testimony” in the subject line and, at the top of the email, explain that you are testifying on BOE General Business Meeting action item V. B: Board Action on Department of Education’s plan for use of federal funds in the new COVID-19 relief package and annual federal spending bill.
Additional testimony needed on value of shortage differentials
Also Thursday, board members will hold a separate “special meeting” at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the superintendent’s plan to discontinue shortage differentials, implemented in January 2020, for classroom educators in special education, hard-to-staff geographical locations, and Hawaiian language immersion programs.
HSTA President Corey Rosenlee said, “The shortage differentials have made a huge difference and have decreased vacancies in shortage areas by 66 percent in just the last year.”
Discontinuing these differentials would hurt our most vulnerable students, and “HSTA does not believe the superintendent can unilaterally discontinue the shortage differentials without the BOE approval,” Rosenlee added.
How to keep track of Thursday’s developments
The BOE will discuss and vote on these budget items in two separate meetings Thursday, Feb. 18. Click on each meeting to view its agenda, meeting materials, and instructions to join virtually:
- 11 a.m. Special meeting (shortage differentials)
- 1:30 p.m. General business meeting (school-level budgets, positions, salaries)
HSTA will also live stream the meeting on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and post a comprehensive recap of Thursday’s developments with recordings of the proceedings.
Mahalo for all your hard work and dedication. We promise to fight for you and for the quality public education our keiki deserve.