Reader
Browse passages, annotate evidence, and export with full provenance for citation.
And so, with that, members, any discussion, any questions? Hearing none, the chair votes I for committee on education. HB 2161 HD3 chairs, I'm going to issue a pass for the amendment. Chair votes I. Vice chair is excused. Senator Fukunaga is excused. I vote I. Senator DeCourt. Chair recommendations adopted. Thank you. CPN, same recommendation. Passing with amendments. Chair votes I. Members, we're voting on HB 2161. Recommendation of the chair is pass with amendments. Noting the excused absence of Vice Chair Fukunaga and also Senator Awana. Anyone present wanting to vote with reservations or no?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Lila Muller in support. Anybody else wishing to testify in HB 2488. Members, any questions? Okay, moving on. HB 2009 relating to family caregiver support. First up, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Deantry Bartolemez, please proceed. Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, committee members. Deantry Bartolemez, Executive Director for the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities. >> Thank you. We have comments to make. When this bill first came out, we were really excited about it. However, we've learned that it's in the wrong place. You cannot add a another category to a federal law unless the state wants to pay for it 100%, but they don't think we do. We also have learned a lot about boards and working with different boards and we really feel that this bill we could combine with Department Human Services and HDRC. We could just get together and discuss this and talk about it.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
And that is the addition of the second BCBA. And then, um, the, um, approval of the teacher for the elementary behavior program and the RBT for that classroom. Can you speak on on cuz I think the piece that Mr. Owens is missing is the new placement for tier two, tier three, and that 12 till tier three in that >> Yeah. that time frame of being in there and what that it cuz I think that's what you're missing is how is this implemented. So, the new piece is that Alma Farrell. Can you speak on that? Well, the we will find a a an identified location. It won't be at Alma, yeah. Um, and that's probably the most significant change to the pieces that we've been building over the past year and a half, 2 years. Um, we'll is that we will have a dedicated classroom located most likely at Santa Cruz because that's where there there is space available.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
So, that's the only thing I have from the budgetary standpoint. Thank you. Mike. Congratulations to Warren on yet another amazing literacy night. Was able to attend that. It was a lot of fun. Enjoyed seeing the students uh helping me design what they would have fantasy school would look like. Uh Oh. Um conferences happening this week uh for our elementary students. Um we did have a great educator evaluation committee meeting. I gave you an update that we're a little behind, but I feel like we caught up really well. The other day was a really valuable meeting and um we have sort of crossed a major hurdle where we seem to be in agreement um in what we would like uh the document to look like and how it's going to read moving forward. So, now we're looking to create a rubric out of that document. But, our eval committee um is back on track, I think.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
>> I would not expect it to because it is a program that does service uh some kids with substantial needs. 33, >> but we'd be dividing those out amongst the schools that >> the saving wouldn't be quite as big because they don't have as many custodians. They don't have I mean, where you save the money, and this is a horrible thing to say, but I'm going to say it. Where you save the money is a principal. Now, the preschool did not have a principal for many, many years, and I didn't have time. This came from a superintendent who's retired. We never had a preschool principal. The Newton principal was also um preschool. We had a um this was before me after they hired me. It was a whole another thing. >> They right they said the Newton principal oversaw because it's the same neighborhood. It's like five minutes away.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
There was one that was like almost 10 once. So, I was not surprised by seven. You know, this is totally normal. This is on trend. We won't get it. And that's okay. But I don't want to like enemify our our administration cuz they fulfilled their job by putting forward this budget and telling us this is what you need to fulfill your obligation. They know it's going to get cut. They said it ahead of time. So I just don't want to go down any kind of road where we're vilifying them in any way at all. on 11. Sorry. >> Is that okay? >> Yes. >> It's a long stretch over there. >> Um and Jeff, there you go. Um, I just want to say that during our budget and finance meeting, uh, we very much know we won't get it, but I think it's presenting something, having you look it over, having you go line by line, seeing possibly where we can cut things.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Hearing none, chair, your recommendation is adopted. >> Thank you. Thank you, chair. Okay. Um Do we know if Chair from Water Land is available? We just started. Okay, you guys >> [clears throat] >> Okay. Okay. So, we're going to go back. IT Well, chair, we are still currently live on YouTube. We're not finished with the agenda. Okay, we're still in. We will continue where we left off and where where did we left off? Okay. Okay, we got through with the libraries. Okay. We are on House Bill 2567 House Draft 1 relating to education. Establishes the early childhood education investment special fund and the testifier on that one >> [clears throat] >> Yukol, are you call her cross cross? >> [clears throat] >> Not here. Malia Souza for Hawaii Children's Action Network in support. Randall John Francisco in support. There is no one here. Anyone here want to testify on this measure?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Um we facilitated a board called um Community Supports and this could fit perfectly in there and I think we could do that and collaborate and fix this. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Next, Louis Erteschik, Hawaii Disability Rights Center in support. Yes, thank you. Good afternoon, Senator. Yes, I want to talk about it. That's why I'm here, right? There's three distinct issues here. The The first one about the child The child care subsidy is a legitimate concern because I'm I think the intent is that if you're out of the house, you're working, you're in schools, they have somebody's got to watch your kid, but if you're a parent with a disability, you may be there, but you're not like fully there, right? And so you still need some care. So, it it's a legit issue, but I understand you can't use state dollars.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
With the addition of Alma Farrell, that's, you know, that's where most of the classrooms will be available. So, um, we'll have a dedicated teacher, a dedicated staff, and that's where students from other schools will be assigned after they go, you know, as we I they are identified, as they make themselves known, and as the staff responds to the needs that they present. And I think the slides said it's like a 12-week placement. That's kind of our, uh, vision. That's kind of our starting point. And in that classroom, they'll have an a teacher, a certified teacher, and dedicated specialized behavior support and instruction to learn to, um, you know, to regulate responses cuz that's usually, you know, dysregulation when things don't go their way. So, um, and again, Ms. Pastor indicated Dr. Pastor indicated that they're, um, finding research-based curriculum, uh, that between the behavior, the RBT, and the teacher that that these students can, you know, they can be helped, they can be instructed because so many of our, especially at these younger grades, having consistent instruction and reinforcement, um, for the child when they're out of the out of a what could be a stressful environment or something that that is a triggering or provocative environment with lots of other students that becomes very disruptive, they can be, um, in a space that's, uh, dedicated and, um, designed for their academic continuity and for their behavioral growth.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Uh and finally, April 2nd, we have a professional learning opportunity um due to an early release day. We are going to be spending the majority of that time for almost all of our staff members to be looking at uh PowerSchool. As you may As you know, we are moving from iPass to PowerSchool for our student information system. A great deal of professional development and time has to be dedicated to ensure that everyone can successfully transition over to PowerSchool. So, while there's certainly other things that we we do need to continue to work on a district, this has to be a major priority for us to make sure that it goes smoothly. So all staff will participate the majority of our staff will be participating in that. Can you just talk a little bit about um what kind of information is contained within PowerSchool? I mean I'm familiar with iPass Yeah.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Oversaw the prek. They had a a lead teacher who happened to be a um school adjustment counselor, Nancy. and she was there 247. >> Yeah. And um and the amazing Ashley who's still there. Um basically I'm going to tell you the secretaries in this town have kept our schools running from Tammy Silk to Sandy Bagwa to Ashley I don't know her last name. I mean there's been some amazing people who um so that can be like I mean that's the savings but if we want to keep the thing I keep hearing is let's try to keep everything the same >> so >> I understand I know where you're going with this >> and next question >> okay what are class sizes and how are they impacted by this budget >> if this budget was to go through it's the same It looks pretty good. >> And what are our class sizes like right now?
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Not that that's your job. It stuff I just don't think we kind of need like a number in order to do that. So I think going through the process just moving this along right now and I think everyone has some very strong opinions on how they're going to. >> All right, mayor. >> So I just think as a school committee I I first I'm not doing a fine interview. I think you did a very good job. >> Thank you. I do. I And I hope that nothing I said made me feel like I was vilifying. I think you know that. I've told you that all year. You're doing a great job. Something comes forward. Just like I have department heads that come in and they bring they have their budget and they bring it in and they've done a very good job and they all try very hard.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
There's no one here wanting to testify. There's nobody we can ask any questions of. So, with that, we'll go into decision making on this item. Okay. House Bill 2296 House Draft 1. This is the school meals. Members, the recommendation is to substitute Senate Bill 2615 language into this measure and delete the the the House version and put in the Senate version. And then we will further defect the date to July 31, 2055. And the Senate bill puts in no less than 25% language that was already in that bill. Just [clears throat] so the public's understanding where we're at.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
So, we got to figure out some some something on that. The The assumption of parental ability is also a a legitimate issue. You can't say, "Well, you're the mother, you should do this." But it's like, "I'm disabled, I can't do it." They need to be able to address that. Then finally, those level of care assessments, we get these cases in our office all the time and it's not even just just in this area where this whole argument about you're not disabled enough to get the services, you don't need as much and we and our clients says, "Yes, I do." So, we got a lot to work on and and I I'm happy to dialogue with Meredith or or you guys or anybody else. >> Thank you very much. Okay, Young Hee Overly, Indivisible Hawaii in support. Hawaii Women Lawyers in support. Malia Suchia, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks in support.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Gotcha. That's what I was missing. >> it's a big piece. I wasn't sure if this, like I said, if this was at each individual elementary or just what the what the whole deal was cuz one one person to get around to each of those schools, if that's the way it was, just wasn't going to work out long term. So, perfect. Thank you. Yeah. I will emphasize that there will be a dedicated space at each school as well that's not for a 12-week placement. It is for a a shorter-term placement, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, depending on the age of the student, you know, up to 7 or 8 or 9 days. Now, if that occurs over time, occurs repeatedly over time, that's an indicator that, um, we need to change some of the circumstances. So, that's why we have this other location. Thank you so very much.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
>> seeing like my children's grades are and things like that, but you know, is PowerSchool a more robust product and what kinds of data points are going to be contained in it and how it's going to be used? Yeah, so essentially it's our student information system. So all all all information regarding any one of our students will be in that program from registration data to grades. So everything is there. Parent contacts. All all of our information regarding every student is located there. In terms of like the teacher facing that that's where teacher grades will go. That's where the rank book will go. That provides an opportunity to even they have the opportunity if they want to utilize it for lesson planning and for things like student seating charts and whatnot. There's a lot that they can use within within PowerSchool and that's what we want to show them all the different things they can do.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Because I have heard really mixed things. >> I have that in front of me. I give you each month >> the number of students per school, right? You can maybe assume that at the elementary levels they're kind of cut in half roughly because they're too progress. They assume, right? >> Yeah. >> I think the elementary is running like between 50 Well, it depends who you ask. If you ask a third grade teacher, they're in the 20s. >> I have the numbers. >> Okay. >> But if you ask our second grade class, we have 10 kids and nine kids. Just that >> it's a bubble. It's a bubble. >> Yeah. >> So, the next question was, how many of our teachers are full licensed teachers versus long-term subs? And that question came out of some people's experience at Newton last year and the physics teacher situation at the high school.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
And then because that's the ones that I look over, I would be like, I think we could do this here. You think they would need all of this? could we get away with thus and so but that would be between myself and the department head as a school committee I thought we would you know at least that happened the first year more people were looking more at what things happened >> this one I thought you just say oh this all >> perfect I thought you did a very good job um and again I certainly want to break your feelings because I've loved working with you but um I think that we have more than that to do to say hey look I think we could use more of this or that, but I can also read a room and see like how many votes there might be for one thing or another.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Then any discussion, members? Chair, I just I just hope that they will get us the historical information soon. Right. It's a little late. land, right? So ordered. Chair votes I. HB 2296 chairs, we're going to issue a pass for the amendment. Chair votes I. Noting excused of Senator Kidani and Fukunaga. I vote I. Senator DeCourt. Chair recommendations adopted. >> Okay, thank you. For House Bill 1934 House Draft 1 relating to libraries. You know, I think that this imagination program is a good one, although there are concerns with the cost and you know, looking at who really will benefit by it. So, I am going to continue to allow this measure to move forward to Ways and Means some technical and non-substantive amendments that may be needed. The blank the appropriation amount is blank and I'm going to further defect the date to July 31, 2055.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above
Um Kona Indivisible and Matriarchy Rising in support. 21 individuals in support. Ryan Yamane, um Department of Human Services providing comments on Zoom. Department of Human Services? Not present, Chair. Okay, thank you very much. And anybody else wishing to testify in HB 2009. I would like to testify. >> questions? Okay, moving on. Excuse me, Chair, we have one on Zoom. Okay, please proceed for HB 2009. Hi there. I'm Ian Seeley. I'm um I helped to draft this bill. Uh Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee, I strongly support HB 2009. Right now, we have health plans that overlook the only question that really matters, whether a vulnerable person is actually receiving care. If you live with a disabled family member, health plans essentially say, "Congratulations. Quit your job because you are now an unpaid caregiver." DHS doesn't stop to consider the trap that they've set for these already low-income households.
⚗ AI-reconstructed · cite from original above