Aloha neighbors and friends!

May 1 will hear the gavel announce the closure of the 2008 Legislative session, a session significantly impacted by the forecast of lean economic times ahead. An ambitious agenda of bills to assist and improve the University of Hawaii and public education systems was greatly trimmed though several important measures have been adopted:

          HB 2978 that creates a new budget system for the UH which allocates funding based on goal setting and attainment;

          SB 2878 that creates the Early Learning Council to develop Keiki First, the long-range statewide early education system;

          HB 2972 that creates a Facilities Alignment Commission to make recommendations on closure, consolidation, and alternative uses for underutilized public schools;

          SB 3252 that helps increase the pool of licensed teachers with PRAXIS (national teacher exam) assistance and creating professional development schools to help train both new and in-service teachers;

          SCR 115 that allows a school complex to recommend efficiency and effectiveness measures related to changing existing DOE regulations and processes and State law;

          SCR 118 that creates work groups to help the DOE increase transparency in its organization, procedures, and outcomes as well as understand how its resources and outcomes compare to other states.

Please see our Education CUBE.

Inform us of your thoughts and concern. Thank you for visiting our website.

Mahalo and God bless,

"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it. "

-MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

Senator Sakamoto visited with Radford High School’s robotics team at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) competition. The team has advanced to the national championship in Atlanta.