Bills Introduced By Senator Sakamoto
(Updated) March 13, 2007
Educational Reform
SB 1933 SD2 Education Accountability Omnibus Bill
This bill will do the following:
- Put business managers in each of the 15 school complexes.
- Create applied learning high school academies.
- Strengthen the University of Hawaii's role in the training of teachers.
- Encourage more people to go into early education.
- Tackle the repair and maintenance backlog in Department of Education and University of Hawaii campuses.
- Provide moneys for more mathematics textbooks in our schools.
Status: Scheduled to be heard by the House Education and HIgher Education Committees on March 15 at 2:20. HED/EDN Hearing Notice
SB 861 Business Managers for School Complexes
With its multimillion-dollar annual budget and many programs and activities, Hawaii public school system is much like a large corporation. By placing a business manager in each of the 15 school complexes, school principals will be better able to tackle the business and financial aspects of our schools more efficiently.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in the budget.
School Curriculum
SB 1267 SD1 Mathematics Textbooks
The shortage of textbooks is hindering many of our students learning mathematics. The bill would deal with the problem by putting more mathematics textbooks in Hawaii public schools.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in SB 1933, the Education Omnibus Bill.
A strong science background is just as important as a strong background in mathematics for our State's economy to remain competitive. The bill would put more science textbooks in Hawaii public schools.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in SB 1933, the Education Omnibus Bill.
School Repair and Maintenance
SB 862 Reducing Repair and Maintenance Backlog
After years of neglect, Hawaii public schools have fallen into disrepair. Last year $235 million was designated to reducing the repair and maintenance backlog. This bill will further reduce the repair and maintenance backlog to a manageable level within three years.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in SB 1932.
SB 1932 SD2 Repairs and Maintenance
The bill addresses the repair and maintenance backlog in the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii.
Status: Scheduled to be heard by the House Education and Higher Education Committees on March 15 at 2:20. HED/EDN Hearing Notice
Early Education
SB 613 SD2 Workforce for Early Education
It has become increasingly evident that academic success starts before Kindergarten. If we want universal early childhood education in Hawaii, we need to ensure that there are teachers well trained for early education. The bill encourages people to become early educators and junior kindergarten teachers through incentives like scholarships, mentoring programs, and other recruitment incentives.
Status: The bill was passed by the Senate on March 6 and sent to the House of Representatives.
SB 1130 SD1 Junior Kindergarten
The bill brings clarity to the Department of Education's Junior Kindergarten program by requiring that Junior Kindergarten students be taught a Junior Kindergarten curriculum instead of a Kindergarten curriculum, and discouraging the promotion of Junior Kindergarteners directly to the first grade.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in SB 613.
Using Our Schools To Diversify Our Economy
SB 1648 Applied Learning Academies
Applied learning high school academies are a new kind of high school program with links to a university or the business or science world. These schools will have a practical focus, for example, math, science, engineering, or environmental technology.
Status: We will seek to have it addressed in SB 1933, the Education Omnibus Bill.
SB 1931 SD2 Educational Workforce Working Group
In order for Hawaii to have a strong and diversified economy, we need our public school to provide graduates prepared to join this new kind of economy. The bill establishes a working group to look into ways Hawaii public schools can better meet the needs of Hawaii's future workforce.
Status: The bill was passed by the Senate on March 6 and sent to the House of Representatives.
Graffiti & Drug Abuse
SB 1139 SD1 Random Drug Testing
Drug abuse is a serious and widespread problem in Hawaii. Recently, a public school teacher was arrested for selling "ice," while at school. This bill would require random testing of public school employees and teachers. This is needed in order to ensure that our children learn in a drug free environment.
Status: The bill was incorporated into SB 96 SD3, which is scheduled to be heard by the House Education, Health, and Labor Committees on March 14 at 2:00. EDN/HLT/LAB Hearing Notice
15th Senatorial District
SB 1801 Fifteenth District Capital Improvement Projects
The bill designates moneys for capital improvement projects for the benefit of the fifteenth senatorial district. These projects include repairing or improving school facilities, dredging the Salt Lake waterway, and constructing a storm drainage system for Puuhale Road.
Status: We will seek to have it incorporated into the budget bill.