Seeing or hearing none, we want to call the nominee. She is on Zoom with us today. Welcome. Hello. Would you like to open with some remarks? Thank you for that opportunity. Um, aloha, Vice Chair Kim, and members of the committee. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify today. I am honored to be considered for this post. I thank Governor Green for the nomination and the many colleagues who submitted testimony on beha on my behalf. I look forward to this opportunity to serve our families and Kiki across Hawaii as an early learning board member. I'll bring to the board over 25 years of experience as a health and human service administrator and I've worked in a number of fields related to kei. Beyond the subject matter expertise, I care deeply about access and quality learning. I have twin boys who are born and raised on Hawaii Island.
And as all parents wish, we want and desire healthy and thriving opportunities for our kei to grow and to thrive. I hope to integrate my expertise, my passion, collaborative spirit to support the early learning board to meet the responsibilities.
I stand by my written testimony and I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have. Thank you for your time and consideration and to commitment to our communities across the state. Mahalo. Thank you very much.
U members, any questions of our nominee? Oh, no. I just wanted to let her know she never have one minute. That was for the testifiers, so you didn't have to rush your statements, though. I appreciate that. Oh, I have none. Okay. Anybody else? Um, you've been on the board serving for several months now. Just a couple of meetings. Just a couple of meetings. Yes. So, just based on your two meetings, what what what is your observations and your thoughts? Uh I'm learning and I know that we're going through a transition with the board uh as there's more nominees that are coming up and there will be a whole transition with the board. So I'm intrigued around how the different expertise will come together and that shift that will be happening. Um I've enjoyed spending some time with the executive director Yuko um and starting to learn a little bit about um what what's the work that's happening.
Okay. So, with the change and with being a wholesale new boy coming on and yourself and one other today that we're confirming, the others will be confirmed, I believe, uh, next week sometime. Uh, that'll give you seniority. You'll be the old member on the board. So, uh, any thoughts as far as u what kind of leadership you can provide, if any. You know, I think this is an opportunity to co-create and co-learn together. We'll all be going through the newness of all of this. And um my goal is to support the executive director to the best of our ability and and help provide direction and strategy and priority support for her and her team. You know, I I strongly believe that early learning is very important to our youth, but I also for believe as strongly that um being nurtured at home and with family values are also very important and having a balance there.
What worries me is sometimes families because of work or other um obstacles uh just want to get the child out of the home so they can make sure they can, you know, do do what it is they need to get taken care of. and that um sometimes that's not always the answer to how our children um form their values and receive some of these nurturing nurturing um lessons that they they need to have growing up. Do you have any thoughts about that on how we strike that balance? It's challenging and that's a very complicated um and insightful observation uh in the sense that part of our pressures it's not just about growing our children. It's about being able to as a family live and thrive in Hawaii and that has to do with housing, transportation, jobs, multiple jobs. All of these things are are complicated.
Um I agree with you. you know, I had the opportunity to stay at home with my children for over a year and I had a lot of support from my employer and um from my family to be able to do that and that that made a big difference. Not everyone can do that. So, so that's what I mean about the complications that are beyond um just what happens in this um in the early learning board. it this has to do with more of the holistic um conversations around how do we make um Hawaii a place for people to be able to thrive. I recently had a conversation, maybe this is not so much about your board, but it is about balance and um we're talking about children not going to kindergarten before they're five because we changed that law. And of course there's, you know, certain people on different sides and they're saying, "Yeah, but I have to pay one more year of child care." Though that's the only reason why they would want their child to go to kindergarten like start in September even though they're born in December.
Uh because of that cost and not necessarily what is best for the child. Um, so sometimes that worries me as we continue to push um education and so forth on whether or not the child is really getting that education or being pawned off um for the state to have to take care of. But anyway, I don't think that we'll answer that question today, but certainly appreciate your willingness to serve. And uh there are no questions from Senator Richards. Yeah, thank you. Um, so you and I have had some of the conversations on this, but specifically ge geographically speaking, Big Island is a big island versus Aahu. Geographically, um, I think there's some challenges when we talk about early education. as a state board, how do you how do you see this being able to address small geographical areas versus substantially large geographical areas? I think we need to have the information and you know, I had the lived experience being that mother of twins in Punea and my children changed child care three times in one year and I shared that in in um some of my testimony um prior.
Those are all real challenges and I we those are things we have to consider and figure out and when we set statewide policy on things that might impact different neighborhoods on the different islands in different ways. So that's what's s very very important. I'm appreciative that this board composition will be with people from the different geographic areas um because there will be people from um Hawaii Island and and Maui and Kauaii and and hopefully they'll be able to bring um those nuances in terms of access to the forefront. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Question, Senator Hash. Well, thanks. Thanks for that statement. I think I as being a neighbor handler myself I I think you're going to play a very important role in bringing that geographic perspective. I think what from from your first couple of meetings do you feel that there is that other perspective of taking care of the rural communities u in sometimes more you know we're not in the urban core you know big island Maui Kauaii sometimes we have to make sure that you know the policy is set with the mindset that there are other types of areas that you're going to have to serve but has has that been the forefront and are you going to be the advocate for for the neighbor islands?
Well, I'm always the advocate for neighbor islands and people who know me know that that's usually how I come forth. Um, but we have we're going to have a number of folks on the board who are advocating for their geographic um, distribution and what is the experience happening that way. I believe that this will always be a forefront for any kind of priority setting and decision-making to make sure that a child in Kohala or Cahoo has the same access and experience that a child in an urban area in our state would have. That's important. Okay. Well, great. I I think I I challenge you to continue that perspective because I think it's it's important. I think sometimes when we get into decision making it sometimes we I I think especially some with the with the staff they're they're looking at very logistical items and sometimes it's harder to to get a broader understanding what what's going on with the rest of the state and different models that need to be implemented.
So I think your your voice will be very important in those discussions but I'm happy that we will we'll have strong representation from the neighbor islands. So thank you. I appreciate that invitation to continue that challenge. Thank you very much. Um I do want to add just a perspective as an urban representative is that you know sometimes I admire and um relish the the um rural areas and in fact the families tend to be uh much more um well knitted together and yet you do have stronger values because you don't have all of the um distractions and stuff that go on in the urban areas. So while a lot of times we talk about the the downfalls of being from a rural area, I think there's a lot of positiveness and we need to look at that and we need to strengthen that. So and you guys can teach the urban areas some stuff.
So thank you very much. Sure. Just get Yes. couple followup. According to your resume, you develop a short film to increase mental health mental health help seeking behaviors of Pacific Islander male students and also having a background with child abuse and neglect. Um, absolutely. Um I don't say what the reason but um what what did you get out of that short film and and and doing what you do with what you know about child abuse and with the short film the the short film was created when I was at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and at that time I was overseeing our medical services our mental health counseling and also prevention education which included sexual violence prevention ion and suicide prevention. At that time when we were looking at our data, we found that it was young male Pacific Islanders who were less likely to access helpseeking behaviors through our mental health counseling programs.
We probably most of us would know that, but you know, we looked at our data and that's what we were seeing. So, we sought to do some additional outreach uh in connected to our amazing Pacific Island um programming and services that happen at uh Hilo to um create a path and a bridge utilizing Pacific Islander male voices to help with that outreach. Do you believe there is should be a process if if if there is if there isn't any at the time on early early school education identifying the harm that children has been exposed and also so have you addressed it how did you address it uh do you mind repeating the question are we talking the the first part was around identifying any harm that the children has been exposed opposed to and if so how would you had how would you address it?
Um so as an educator because I've been in a educator in the K to2 system if there was identification of harm we were trained to be able to address it with both the student and get support from administrators and counselors uh in in that way. But part of being able to address it is to be able to identify signs and symptoms of harm that might be happening. The reason why I asked this question, um, I I'm I'm only new. I'm a new guy here, but looking at your background, especially coming back coming from Hawaii Island or whatever they decide to call the island, um I I really appreciate your background, especially when it comes to mental health and abuse because on Hawaii Island, you know, there's a lot of trials and tribulation for our kids even going to public school. annoying that you're already talking about you having hard time finding child care in Puna on on in that area on the on the difficulties of of living in certain areas and getting things done.
Reason why I bring this up is because as DOE as as early learning educators, I have a I always have a big issue with that because this is where we're going to save our children from being victimized and we are the first line of defense. And the reason why I say first line of defense is because I was a custodian and a security before I came into this square building. When I seen these things, I reported it not only to the principal but to HBD. I'm glad that you have this background going forward. Then maybe you can share your mana and try to push more with the early learning board to really observe signs of abuse because maybe the methods that I had learned 20 years ago is not the same methods that we're learning now but the signs are similar of what they go through especially what you was just explaining.
So if you can, that's one of the require requests that you help us with because our kids are dying and being abused and we are the only line of defense that these children have is at our DOE school cuz they spend a lot of time with us. So if you can give me that, I I appreciate it. And another thing, chair, I wanted to add is I like at the end over here where you say I am here to serve. Um can you share what what what you know what you mean by that because I I like that terminology. So can you elaborate a little bit? Um, I feel a deep sense of kulana to the communities that have embraced me and um that have also raised my children with me. Um, that have invited me into my learning journey around, you know, the topics you're talking about with mental health and child abuse and neglect.
I'm here to serve my community. I'm part of this community and we are raising our children together. Thank you, chair. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, moving on to GM590, submitting for consideration and confirmation to the early learning board nominee Stephanie Shepton for a term to expire 6:30 2027. Uh testifying again is I stand on my testimony. Thank you. Oh, anyone else here wishing to testify? Yes, sir. Chair members of committee. My apologies for testimony but at least stand in support of this nominee. Thank you very much. Anybody else? We do have a one from the principal of Kohi Elementary also in support. Okay, Stephanie, you are here. There she is. Is it one minute or is it more? No, you can as long as we stay within some limited time. You're welcome to to give your piece. Great. I was scratching things out trying quickly trying to short it, but it doesn't mean you could talk for an hour.
I promise I will be u mindful of your time. Um good afternoon, Vice Chair Kim, members of the Senate Education Committee. Thank you for your time and for your consideration of my nomination today. Um, I believe that a strong early learning ecosystem that inspires young people and empowers communities is critically important for the future of our state. This belief is born from my own experience growing up in a single parent household, where I had the opportunity to attend quality daycarees and public preschools, places where I learned and built friendships that last to this day. and I am forever grateful that for my own young children here in Hawaii, we have had access to similar resources. My two kiddos have explored Hawaiian culture and values alongside learning their ABCs somewhat um through the parent participation program at Kikioka. They have learned to malama aa and deepen their relationship to our community and to hea through programs at Papa Hana.
They've made lifelong friends through our participation in Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Pico Palace Program, which is a program for new parents of very young children. It's you're eligible if your child is three months old to participate. And through the birthing classes that Best Hookie and Castle Hospital offer, they'll continue their learning um at a Sunshine School, a preschool on the windward side of Oahu. My oldest is in her second year there now, and my son will be joining her in the fall. Um, that's right. My daughter turned four yesterday and my son is just over two. So, if you do the math, I have two within two years apart from each other. So, I am a little bit tired today as I come to see you. And if you look closely, the washable marker on my foot is not as washable as the name claims it is.
So, I apologize for that. Um, but it's not just my experience as a daughter and a mother that brings me to this work. I have built a career in education policy in systems change and program implementation. This career began as a classroom assistant in a prek classroom in Washington DC serving primarily Al Salvadorian and Honduran students. I can hold diverse system perspectives. I can make connections and I can dive into the details. All important skills for a board member with this important work in front of them. And I truly believe that transformational change requires a broad and diverse coalition of people with empathy and who are grounded in place. I believe that my orientation to leading through aloha, compassion, and connection will contribute to a strong board culture that a culture that fosters empowerment, nimleness, and creativity. And I commit to operating from a place of possibility and curiosity to coming to the work ready to engage to listen connect and explore and to be very clear on the importance of governance and accountability as the early learning board sets forth on this new chapter.