Report Title:

Hawaiian Language; Pilot Consortium

Description:

Establishes a pilot consortium between the department of education, the University of Hawaii, and `Aha Punana Leo to address Hawaiian literacy.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2666

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the hawaiian language.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature declares that "I Ola Nö Ke Kino - That The Body Be A Healthy One", is the goal of this Act and dedicates this Act and the issue of addressing preschool through graduate school education through the medium of the Hawaiian language in honor of Senator Daniel K. Inouye in the year of his eightieth birthday.

Over the past twenty years, the once banned Hawaiian language has returned as a medium of education at the preschool, kindergarten through twelfth grade, undergraduate, and graduate levels. The Hawaiian language provides a means for the people of the State to exercise the right to use the Hawaiian language as recognized in the Hawaii state constitution and federal Native American Languages Act, as well as developing fluency in both of the State's official languages.

Crucial to this effort has been support at the federal level, the source of the original ban on Hawaiian medium education, and a key source of funding support to reestablish and develop high quality Hawaiian language medium education.

In order to further support the development of Hawaiian language medium education and attain a high level of literacy in both of the State's official languages, the time has come for the central components of Hawaiian medium education to be brought together in a bold "P-20 Consortium for Hawaiian Biliteracy Program" (consortium) that will promote high literacy in both languages.

The consortium will consist of the state Hawaiian medium education agency of the department of education, the Hawaiian language college of the University of Hawaii, and `Aha Pünana Leo, Inc.

The consortium is inspired by the bold actions of Senator Daniel K. Inouye in support of Hawaiian medium education on the federal level, actions that have provided the legal and funding support that have allowed so much of the effort of Hawaiian language medium education to move forward.

The consortium further seeks to demonstrate the use of Nä Honua Mauli Ola - Hawaiian Cultural Standards, developed by the Hawaiian language college and the federal government's Native Hawaiian Education Association from the Kumu Honua Mauli Ola educational philosophy developed with federal funds by 'Aha Pünana Leo, Inc., in collaboration with the Hawaiian language college.

Through careful planning, research, leveraging, and coordination of scarce resources, this consortium will accelerate and expand existing efforts to provide high level Hawaiian/English biliteracy for all age levels in Hawaii.

The establishment of such a consortium is especially appropriate in recognition of the twentieth anniversary of the formal establishment of Hawaiian medium education in Hawaii.

The return of the Hawaiian language as a medium of education has come through the joint efforts of countless küpuna and individuals of all ages and ethnicities working in countless capacities to make the dream of the survival of the Hawaiian language a reality.

As Hawaii's senior elected official in Washington D.C., Senator Daniel K. Inouye has taken a lead role in assuring that Hawaiian language medium education be recognized as a civil right of the people of Hawaii and supported by federal funding.

Through Senator Inouye's Native Hawaiian Education Act, the now twenty-year old nonprofit `Aha Pünana Leo, Inc., developed a statewide system of Hawaiian language medium preschools and provided follow up support that resulted in the development of the kindergarten through twelfth grade Hawaiian language immersion program of the Hawaii state department of education.

Inspired and supported by Senator Daniel K. Inouye's Native American Languages Act, the University of Hawaii established the Hawaiian language college to include Hawaiian medium teacher education, Hawaiian medium graduate education, and outreach to other Native Americans seeking to replicate Hawaii's indigenous language revitalization efforts.

While Hawaii has much to be proud of in its system of Hawaiian language education, additional efforts are needed to strengthen the system and bring out its true potential, especially in the area of administration and planning.

A pilot program to include a separate Hawaiian language medium agency in the Hawaiian language consortium that would focus on Hawaiian/English biliteracy is an appropriate way to strengthen Hawaiian medium education in Hawaii and to honor Senator Daniel K. Inouye during the year of his eightieth birthday.

SECTION 2. There is established a pilot Hawaiian language medium state educational agency to operate in a consortium with `Aha Pünana Leo and the Hawaiian language college of the University of Hawaii for a period of five years from July 1, 2004, to July 1, 2009, to address the issue of Hawaiian biliteracy and to continue thereafter, if not specifically ended by the governor of Hawaii at that time. The Hawaiian language medium state educational agency shall be established by the department of education by July 1, 2004, and may operate districts and complex areas on an equal basis with any other districts and complex areas of the department. The Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall encompass the entire State, may operate schools consisting of geographically noncontiguous classes, boarding schools, charter schools, and cyber schools and may share facilities, administration, programs, resources, and funding with other public, charter, and private schools and colleges as appropriate.

The Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall include all schools and programs that are laboratory schools of the Hawaiian language college and other schools and programs, as appropriate.

SECTION 3. In order to achieve the goals established by this Act and using the means provided by this Act, by August 1, 2004, the governor shall formalize the five year pilot project established pursuant to this Act and include the state Hawaiian medium education agency of the department of education, the Hawaiian language college of the University of Hawaii, and `Aha Pünana Leo, Inc., within a consortium.

SECTION 4. The consortium shall use, among other standards, the Nä Honua Mauli Ola Hawaii - Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments, and provide means for other parties to join the consortium.

SECTION 5. Students served through the Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall not be denied participation in services provided by other public educational entities of the State, such as athletics, extra curricular activities, special education, or any other services not available under the Hawaiian language medium state education agency. The participation of students in these activities and other joint services to students shall be organized through agreements executed between the Hawaiian language medium state education agency and the superintendent of education.

SECTION 6. The director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency may:

(1) Reallocate staff between consortium partners, to establish small school status for participating entities;

(2) Appoint administrators for the districts and complex areas in the agency;

(3) Establish additional requirements for the hiring of faculty beyond the standard department of education and Hawaii teacher standards board's requirements;

(4) Negotiate with other administrators within the department of education for shared facilities, shared administration, and other shared arrangements as appropriate; and

(5) Execute the responsibilities of the Hawaiian language medium education provisions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(6) In consultation with the superintendent of education, carry out other activities that will advance the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. During the term of the pilot project, the Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall be headed by a director who shall have the status equivalent to both an assistant superintendent of the department of education and a department chair in the Hawaiian language college and shall report to both the superintendent of education and the dean of the Hawaiian language college. The director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall have maximum flexibility to carry out the purpose of the consortium established under this Act.

By July 1, 2004, the superintendent of department of education, in close consultation with the dean of the Hawaiian language college and the executive director of 'Aha Punana Leo, Inc., shall appoint the director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency. The director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall be paid through the department of education's operating budget and shall be eligible for all the benefits and rights normally provided to employees of the department of education.

The director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency shall have at least three years experience in kindergarten through twelfth grade Hawaiian language medium education administration as well as experience working with preschools, the University of Hawaii system, and private education entities.

SECTION 8. By July 1, 2004, the department of education shall establish the Hawaiian language medium state education agency and transfer the responsibility for the department of education's office of Hawaiian language, culture and history, and all department of education charter schools and regular schools recognized as laboratory schools of the Hawaiian language college, to the agency. The department of education shall also provide the Hawaiian language medium state education agency with a means to include other schools, programs, and classes in its programs, as appropriate.

SECTION 9. The director of the Hawaiian language medium state education agency, in cooperation with the dean of the Hawaiian language college and the executive director of 'Aha Pünana Leo, Inc., shall provide an annual report to the governor, board of education, and legislature on the activities of the consortium.

SECTION 10. If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or application of the Act that can be given effect without the invalid provisions or application, and to this end the provision of this Act are severable.

SECTION 11. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.

INTRODUCED BY:

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