For nearly two years, COVID-19 has been a focus for state lawmakers, dictating what policies and efforts are addressed. While the impacts of COVID may continue to be a focus for the legislature, there is optimism lawmakers will address prolonged issues
Especially in education.
"Some of the issues that we've trying for in the past, definitely fell by the wayside when the coronavirus pandemic first came," said Osa Tui, Jr., president of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association.
"Now the coffers are little fuller than they were in the past. So we're hopeful that there will not be the challenges that we've had in the past to get some of our priorities taken care of."
Tui says the union is focusing on improving the recruitment and retention of teachers by pursuing efforts in affordable housing and teacher pay.
"One thing we're trying to address is what we call 'compression.' Our teachers for many years did not get to move up the salary schedule based on their years of service."
Tui says teachers who have taught for 20 or more years are making the same amount as teachers with less seniority.
Last week, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education discussed its budget request of $270 million for the upcoming session.
Interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi told lawmakers the department's budget prioritizes four categories to help advance education. These include teacher and staff development, expanding student educational opportunities, and facility upgrades and operations.
Several lawmakers asked Hayashi whether compression is an issue the department is looking to address in this session.
Hayashi said the department is aware of the issue, and is working to resolve it — adding part of the budget request would go toward addressing the issue.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups are also hopeful lawmakers will discuss and approve proposals to improve the trajectory of education in the state.
One group, HawaiiKidsCAN, is focusing on allowing and expanding career readiness opportunities for students.
The nonprofit's executive director, David Sun-Miyashiro, says his organization is looking to build off the successful passage of Senate Bill 516 in the last session. The bill focuses on career readiness programs at various high schools, in order to encourage innovative programs to get students ready for life after school.
HawaiiKidsCAN is proposing is the creation of an incentive fund for schools to support a career readiness program.
"When their programs are supporting kids to enter career fields, where they can have either high demand jobs or high wage jobs here in Hawaiʻi, not on the mainland, but here in Hawaiʻi, that their school could actually earn some extra funds for helping kids achieve those goals."
Sun-Miyashiro says his organization is also focusing on other proposals that would improve the policy side of career readiness programs.
"We've studied closely countries like Switzerland, where more than 70% of students graduate from high school with some kind of quality work experience," said Sun-Miyashiro. "So what we're looking at are the policy structures that we have in place, really keeping up with innovation at schools, and what can we do to encourage more employers, and more schools, to really
Another priority for HawaiiKidsCAN is updating the board of education's membership requirements. Sun-Miyashiro says it is important for the board to keep up with innovative progress at schools, and the real world.
"Thinking about those big questions of how do we make sure our kids are equipped with the skills and connections to stay, and live and work here in Hawaiʻi, and be successful? How do we make sure that folks with those backgrounds are represented on the board of education," he said.
"Education doesn't look the same that it did 20 years ago, and it won't look the same 20 years from now. So how do we really help the board tackle these sophisticated and complex questions?"
The 31st legislative session starts Wednesday, Jan. 19, and will end on May 5.
