Pre-K: Who Will Control Cash Flow, Positions?

CB: … Renewed attention to universal pre-K in Hawaii has put into sharper focus the relationship between the DOE, which oversees the state’s entire K-12 network of 256 public schools, and the EOEL, an agency established in 2012 to oversee the early childcare system from the prenatal stage through kindergarten entry. EOEL is funded through the state Department of Education but is a separate entity.

The inherent tension between DOE and EOEL lies in who should be administering the pre-K programs and how decisions are made on where to introduce new pre-K classrooms.

The leaders of those systems — DOE Superintendent Christina Kishimoto and EOEL’s Moriguchi — say the public pre-K expansion has always been a collaborative effort, but the tenor of questions they’ve been peppered with by lawmakers at the Capitol lately doesn’t exactly suggest a seamless partnership.

“My confusion is that the authority to plot the course for early education lies with the EOEL and not the DOE,” Kidani said to Moriguchi during a DOE budget briefing to the Senate Ways and Means and Education committees earlier this month. “I don’t see the need for an EOEL if you’re leaving all the decisions up to the DOE. We’re duplicating services and duplicating expenses.”

Other lawmakers seemed frustrated by the pace of the rollout of new classrooms. Sen. Kurt Fevella said at the same briefing that his Ewa district lacks public pre-K classrooms and expressed irritation when Moriguchi said there must be principal buy-in to establish a pre-K classroom at any given school.

“We have you guys here collecting the money, and you give it to DOE, and DOE goes to select (the school). If the principal opts in or opts out, I don’t think that’s fair, but I think every single elementary school should be on this list,” Fevella said, holding up a list of DOE schools with pre-K classrooms.

The DOE is in charge of the K-12 public school system, including facilities, classroom renovations, principals, teachers, assessments and standards. The EOEL is tasked with ensuring the public pre-K program is not just expanding but also “high-quality,” meaning teachers are equipped with the right training and know what they’re doing.

Otherwise, Moriguchi said, “the programs can actually be harmful to students.”….

read … Its for the keiki, really…

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STATE LAUNCHES COLLABORATIVE PLAN FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

News Release from Office of the Governor, January 30, 2019

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige and state leaders launched the first-ever Hawai‘i Early Childhood State Plan 2019-2024 with the signing of an agreement between state government leaders to work together to implement the plan. The comprehensive, widely accepted plan aims to guide public and private efforts to improve the lives of keiki and their families.

The plan helped the state secure a $1 million federal grant last month called Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will help to ensure the implementation of the state plan.

The Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) — the lead state agency charged with overseeing the development of a statewide early-childhood learning system – will continue to facilitate the plan along with the Early Learning Board and stakeholders across the state.

The five-year plan sets the foundation for a statewide early-childhood system for pre-natal through age 8 that goes beyond academics and includes children’s health, safety and well-being; family partnerships and support; and early care and learning. The plan starts with:

• the approximately 154,000 children under the age of 8 who reside in Hawai‘i
• some 17,500 annual births
• the 40 percent of 4-year-olds not served by any early learning programs
• about 109,000 keiki under age 6 with working parents and who need care
• 1,622 homeless kids under age 5, who in 2017, received shelter and outreach services.

“Starting with prenatal care, we are setting the foundation to ensure that all keiki develop to their fullest potential and with them, our communities,” said Gov. Ige. “I am excited that this new plan will drive collective action to improve the lives of our children, their families and our communities by preparing our keiki for their future and the 21st century workforce.”

“We position our young children and Hawai‘i for success when we leverage and invest our resources in them wisely, ensuring that public and private communities coordinate and collaborate with each other,” said EOEL Director Lauren Moriguchi. “To make a difference for our keiki, we need a support system that addresses their holistic needs. It must start from the earliest years and continue throughout a child’s educational career.”

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Link to photos here

Link to video here

Link to signed agreement here