DRAFT

STATE OF HAWAII
BOARD OF EDUCATION
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING

MINUTES

Queen Liliuokalani Building
1390 Miller Street, Room 404
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Monday, August 10, 2023
*This meeting was a remote meeting under Section 92-3.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The meeting recording is available here.

PRESENT:
Shanty Asher, Chairperson
Bill Arakaki
Kaimana Barcarse
Kahele Dukelow
Warren Haruki
Ken Kuraya
Lauren Moriarty

EXCUSED:
Makana McClellan, Vice Chairperson

ALSO PRESENT:
Stacey Aldrich, State Librarian, Hawaii State Public Library System
Keith Hayashi, Superintendent, Department of Education
Sean Bacon, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Talent Management, Department of Education
Keri Lynn Shimomoto, Educational Specialist, Office of Talent Management, Department of Education
Alison Kunishige, Executive Director
Kenyon Tam, Board Analyst
Lady Garrett, Secretary


I. Call to Order

Committee Chairperson Shanty Asher called the Human Resources Committee (“Committee”) Meeting to order at 10:45 a.m. Committee Chairperson Asher and Committee Members Bill Arakaki, Kaimana Barcarse, Warren Haruki, and Ken Kuraya were present. Committee Members Kahele Dukelow and Lauren Moriarty participated remotely.


II. Approval of Meeting Minutes of June 1 and June 15, 2023

Committee Chairperson Asher asked Committee members to review the Committee’s June 1 and June 15, 2023, meeting minutes.

Committee Member Barcarse moved to approve the Committee’s June 1 and June 15, 2023, meeting minutes. Committee Member Arakaki seconded.

Committee Chairperson Asher asked if there were any objections to the motion. No Committee member raised objections, and the motion carried through unanimous consent from all members present (Committee Members Arakaki, Barcarse, Dukelow, Haruki, Kuraya, and Moriarty).

ACTION: Motion to approve the Human Resources Committee’s June 1 and June 15, 2023, meeting minutes (Barcarse/Arakaki). The motion carried through unanimous consent from all members present.


III. Recommendation for Action

Committee Chairperson Asher called for public testimony on this agenda item.

Susan Pcola-Davis, member of the public, expressed support for the recommendation concerning amendments to the state librarian employment contract to increase salary. She suggested that the Board consider providing a one-time performance bonus for Aldrich.

Committee members received written testimony before the meeting. (A listing of the people who submitted written testimony before the meeting is included at the end of these minutes.)

Committee Chairperson Asher referenced her memorandum in the meeting material.

Committee Member Moriarty expressed strong support for the contract amendment and referred to the cost of living (“COLA”) salary increase adjustments. She suggested that the Board might want to consider what the appropriate levels for salary adjustments are. Committee Member Moriarty stated that libraries are doing a lot of work and suggested the Board review its timing and calendaring of performance adjustments.

Committee Member Kuraya moved to approve the Second Amendment of the June 2, 2021 Employment Contract between Stacey Aldrich and the Board of Education, State of Hawaii, attached as Exhibit C to Committee Chairperson Asher’s memorandum dated August 10, 2023, and authorize the Board chairperson to execute the amendment on behalf of the Board of Education (“Board”), subject to approval as to form by the Board’s attorney. Committee Member Barcarse seconded.

Committee Chairperson Asher called for a roll call vote on the motion. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye (Committee Members Arakaki, Barcarse, Dukelow, Haruki, Kuraya, and Moriarty).

ACTION: Motion to approve the Second Amendment of the June 2, 2021 Employment Contract between Stacey Aldrich and the Board of Education, State of Hawaii, attached as Exhibit C to Committee Chairperson Asher’s memorandum dated August 10, 2023, and authorize the Board chairperson to execute the amendment on behalf of the Board, subject to approval as to form by the Board’s attorney (Kuraya/Barcarse). The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye.


IV. Discussion Items

Committee Chairperson Asher called for public testimony on this agenda item.

Susan Pcola-Davis, member of the public, expressed support and rated the agenda item as five stars.

Committee Chairperson Asher called on Keith Hayashi, Superintendent, Department of Education (“Department”), and Sean Bacon, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Talent Management, Department of Education, to provide an update on Desired Outcome 2.1.1 of the strategic plan.

Bacon stated that the Board approved the implementation plan in May 2023, ensuring that a qualified teacher is in all classrooms. He shared that the Department launched a modernized recruitment process on May 16. Bacon explained that the modernized process provides applicants with an option to apply directly to a specific position and helps the Department to align candidates to positions.

Bacon stated that as of August 9, 2023, the Department has hired 1,114 new teachers and shared that all current positions are posted on the Department’s website.

Bacon outlined teacher recruitment efforts, including filling two staff positions to work directly in the field. He shared that the Department developed a teacher ambassador program to assist all teachers and participated in job fairs or homegrown hire events to interact with community members about available positions.

Bacon stated that the Department has launched online marketing campaigns and promoted opportunities to work for the Department during recent visits to high school academies. He expressed support for the newly ratified teacher contract, which includes a 14.5% salary increase over the next few years. Bacon stated that the legislature added permanent funding to support teacher differentials. He detailed the Department’s international recruitment efforts this past year which yielded 80 teachers from the Philippines who are certified, experienced, and advanced degree holders. Bacon detailed that the Department has induction and mentoring programs for new teachers.

Bacon stated that there are 260 active recruitments posted on the Department’s website and that ongoing efforts have helped to attract employees. He stated that the Department is measuring and tracking data in order to make better decisions.

Bacon stated that due to recent events on Maui, OTM is working on plans to help employees affected by the fires. He recognized the team members from OTM and shared that he is proud of the commitment and dedication from staff to ensure qualified staff are in each classroom.

Committee Member Barcarse asked if current employees receive a reward for referring a friend to the program. Bacon replied that the program is for specific jobs and if the person referred is selected, the employee who provided the referral would receive a $500 incentive.

Committee Member Barcarse noted that it is great to get highly qualified teachers and asked how the induction and mentoring is going.

Keri Lynn Shimomoto, Educational Specialist, Office of Talent Management, stated that many teachers teach in communities that they do not come from and that the cultural aspect is important to serve families. She stated that every complex has a coordinator to provide a cultural induction experience and that the Department is trying to get them to go deeper into various locations for a learning experience.

Committee Member Barcarse stated that getting teachers in the door is one component and retention is a separate issue.

Committee Member Haruki noted the progress the Department has made with filling teacher vacancies and expressed that it is important for the Department to understand why employees leave so that the Board can try to address issues.

Bacon stated that collecting data when employees leave is important and that the Department currently uses a form, which allows them to explain why they are leaving and that he hopes that the Department can modernize this process as well.

Committee Member Arakaki recalled his time as a principal and shared his experience with the candidate pool process, which was lengthy and burdensome. He explained that principals had to go through the entire list of applicants, including those who were not interested in working at his school. He stated that personalized lists of candidates that are interested in working at a specific school would help relieve some burdens for principals. Committee Member Arakaki also shared that he can see how the induction and mentoring program on Kauai is making a difference in the community.

Bacon shared that principals and candidates provided positive initial feedback and expressed hope that the modernized process would translate to higher retention numbers.

Committee Member Moriarty stated that research shows that qualified teachers are important for student success. She asked what kind of data the Department would collect and analyze to determine what made the greatest impact on reducing vacancies, and how the Department can improve processes. Bacon replied that the Department’s applicant tracking system measures the position posting to the time of hire, which allows the Department to see which positions are attractive for potential candidates.

Committee Member Moriarty asked whether the Department would analyze overall what areas need more funding. Bacon replied that the Department could determine which efforts should get additional allocations.

Committee Member Kuraya expressed excitement for the new system and shared his experiences as a former principal. He asked how teacher retirements affect teacher retention and stated that during the interview process for teachers, it would be helpful to know if the other candidates find other positions. Bacon replied that applicants could apply for several positions at one time.

Committee Chairperson Asher echoed appreciation for the Department and Hayashi’s leadership, which resulted in innovation in the recruitment process. She stated that the Department is showing how to go beyond the status quo. Committee Chairperson Asher stated that the Department can look at the data to capture stories from certified teachers from underrepresented communities to understand how it can encourage others to apply.


V. Adjournment

Committee Chairperson Asher adjourned the meeting at 11:32 a.m.

List of the people who submitted written testimony before the meeting

NAME
Organization
Agenda Item
Cheri Nakamura
HEʻE Coalition
IV.A. Update on Strategic Plan, Desired Outcome 2.1.1, “All teacher positions are filled with qualified hires”: Teacher positions filled for opening of school year 2023-24
Susan Pcola-DavisIII.A. Committee Action on recommendation concerning amendments to state librarian employment contract to increase salary; IV. A. Update on Strategic Plan, Desired Outcome 2.1.1., “All teacher positions are filled with qualified hires”: Teacher positions filled for opening of school year 2023-24