Ige’s education plans need work
Gov. David Ige has made the goal of transforming education through a more campus-based orientation a centerpiece of his administration, and the budget proposal he has unveiled for the next biennium meshes well with that objective.
The fact that in his proposals he has sectioned off generous shares of funds for this purpose makes rational sense. But providing the money does not guarantee fulfillment of the plan.
The ongoing struggle with the “cool the schools” program of air conditioning and heat abatement, despite the allotment of $100 million for the job, illustrates the problem. Ige expressed his own frustration with how slow the progress has been in getting the job done: fewer than 50 classrooms cooled since summer.
What he has to explain is how adding $62 million to that stash would bring relief to students any more quickly. Without a plan for overcoming the AC bottleneck of getting contractors on the job, it’s hard to see how that extra allocation is defensible, even in a year with a budgetary surplus.
Ige must answer a similar question when the Legislature convenes in a few weeks, if he hopes to get his education program through the goalposts, as well as other spending plans. It isn’t so much “Where’s the money?” but “How are spending decisions made, and by whom?”
The governor on Monday provided a detailed overview of the $28.5 billion two-year state operating budget, representing a 4 to 5 percent increase over the previous biennium. It covered commitments from severance required in the Maui hospital privatization to funds to combat the state’s ongoing scourge of homelessness.
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But the most significant boost in funding was for education. Of the $3 billion in new construction, $373 million was for new schools and classrooms. The Department of Education budget would grow to $1.6 billion, 22 percent of the general fund budget overall.
It was good to see that the governor seems intent on building school facilities where they are needed to stem the overcrowding of schools. The critical area of East Kapolei had been targeted for help last session but was largely ignored. Capitol leadership should not let that happen again this year.
In addition, Ige has filled separate caches of money for specific educational purposes. Besides the air-conditioning initiative, he wants to create a $10 million fund for innovation grants schools could seek. He also requests $9 million to expand the Early College Program that gives high schoolers a chance to earn tuition-free college credits while fulfilling their diploma requirements.
Further, the governor wants a big increase in the “weighted student formula,” a per-pupil allotment that goes directly to the schools, with principals having the most direct control over spending.
That aim seems the least problematic, given that the formula is a well-established pipeline of funds that go directly to student purposes. Similarly, the successful Early College Program has been set up and tested, and should be available to more students, many of whom need exactly this kind of advance toward college readiness.
However, the innovation grants, as attractive as that concept sounds, need to be fleshed out. On what basis will these grants be awarded? How will any new approaches developed in this way be shared with other schools?
Money is a help, but making the most of this program will require principals to raise their awareness of innovation activity statewide, and to share their knowledge broadly.
The governor correctly described the budget as “a balancing act,” weighing immediate needs against future investment. Nowhere is this more evident than in the schools. This budget sets a firm priority on funding education, present and future.
And that’s great — as long as Ige and his lawmaking partners ensure the money hits its mark.
11 responses to “Ige’s education plans need work”
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‘Feel good legislation’? Specific benefits needed.
He needs to get consulting help to ensure his plans represent the best research-based thinking on connecting the public pre-k to the k-12. He seems out of date in his thinking. Cooling classrooms is great but much more needs to be done.
Agreed. The critical information he needs is not available in the Nei as it is way to backwards. Will have to find mainland experts not connected to any educational union.
He should also direct a 25% reduction in all state educational bureaucracy positions. A start on clearing out all the deadwood wasting taxpayer’s dollars.
Bottom line – If you do not have direct, daily contact with students in a teaching position you are a leech on the entire educational system.
These bureaucrats aren’t just taking a salary without meaningful contribution to teaching students, the ideas they generate and the demands they place on those who are actually teaching children is a wasteful distraction. Overall, the bloated, intrusive administration makes it hard for teachers and students to keep an eye on the ball, and instead creates a demoralizing feeling that rigid compliance with policies and obsessive reporting to higher ups is the top priority. The student-teacher learning relationship is an annoying afterthought.
Until the teacher shortage is fixed, all non-critical administrative/managerial positions should be assigned to full-time teaching.
As far as the SA editors’ observation that “critical area of East Kapolei had been targeted for help last session but was largely ignored. Capitol leadership should not let that happen again this year.” I’ll believe this when I see it.
In 2017, Capitol leadership will again be dominated by the outer-islands (especially Maui) even though Oahu has over 70% of state population and pays nearly 80% of state income/GET.
Sen. Roz Baker has been getting hundreds of millions for her trophy high school in Kihei Maui, where enrollment is dropping. Meanwhile the legislature has had little concern for Central and West Oahu high schools, already overflowing with too many students and with projections for far more.
Why do Oahu legislators allow this?
Are they too lazy or timid to lead on behalf of their constituents?
Are we just the cash cows for the outer islands?
Pre-k is not the same as preschool. Ige is ignoring this important need because preschool is not part of the DOE.
This is a useful editorial that draws attention to gray areas in the plans. The problem is that it doesn’t go deep enough. It asks HOW questions rather than the more important WHY questions. How to distribute funds for innovation is a legitimate question, but that’s like asking “How high?” when the question ought to be “Why should I jump?” The elephant in the room is the CIP (capital improvement plan) costs that leave less for innovation. The governor’s plans fail to step outside the box of constructing and maintaining classrooms, which eats up too much of the education budget. With imaginative use of both private and public sector facilities that are already in place and some of the latest technology, much more of the budget could be channeled to innovations such as the Early College Program and online learning options. The problem isn’t so much lack of funds as it is lack of imagination.
I disagree…. the DOE has established many academic standards and there are even programs for kids not bound for college.
What is clear that we have not been able to meet those standards. Many fall through the cracks. We need to figure out what to do about students that are failing.
(Star-Advertiser): “The Department of Education budget would grow to $1.6 billion …”
The US DOE National Center for Education Statistics most recent __Digest of Education Statistics__ table 215.30 puts the Hawaii DOE 20012-2013 total revenue at $2.331 billion.
Reminds me of George Orwell’s __1984__: “The chocolate ration has been increased from 30 grams to 20 grams.”
Let’s see: … $2,331,770,000/186,825 = $12,461 per pupil. If the State gave parents control of the money, they could hire a teacher to take eight kids into her home and that teacher could hire a caterer to provide lunch, buy eight memberships in 24 Hour Fitness, and still have $80,000 left over for salary. And do a better job than the State DOE.
IRT MalcolmK, the Governor is adding some $300 million to the last years base budget that do not include Labor Burden (State Retirement, FICA, Unemployment Insurance, Healthcare, etc.) that is in Human Resources and Dept. of Accounting and General Services. Therefore, you can add $300 million to your $2.331 Billion and have $2.631 Billion for the DoE Budget. I believe the real $ that the DoE spends is some $2.9 Billion.
Thanks. You might be right. The Federal government requires each LEA (local education authority = school district) that receives Federal money to report revenues and expenditures on a standard form (National Public Education Finance Survey and Fiscal Data Plan). I’m not sure how this form accounts for non-dollar-denominated costs like retiree health plan promises.
Between 1993 and 1995 the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser editorial writers and education writers complained of non-existent “cuts” to the DOE budget. The budget had gone up in aggregate and per-pupil terms. I gave them copies of reports that the DOE made to the Federal government which showed budget increases and the editorial writers and education writers continued to write about “cuts”. I finally called into Rick Hamada’s radio show and called them liars on the air and they stopped peddling that particular lie. Looks like they’re creeping back.
Full Text: Contractor Offered Cool Schools at $5990 per Classroom—Was Ignored by DoE
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/17852/Full-Text-Contractor-Offered-Cool-Schools-at-5990-per-ClassroommdashWas-Ignored-by-DoE.aspx