Changes urged to law on Native Hawaiian education panel

Hawaii’s congressional delegation has proposed changes to the composition of the state’s advisory council on Native Hawaiian educational issues.

Under changes proposed Thursday, the Native Hawaiian Education Council would have to include elected officials, and all members would be required to have at least five years of experience in Native Hawaiian education.

The proposal is aimed at strengthening the 1988 Native Hawaiian Education Act by increasing accountability and transparency, according to a joint statement by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and U.S. Reps. Colleen Hana­busa and Tulsi Gabbard.

The act was intended to improve the education of Native Hawaiians through increased federal funding to programs and providers. Toward that end it established the Native Hawaiian Education Council in 1997 to coordinate, assess and make recommendations on the effectiveness of existing education programs for Native Hawaiians, the state of current Native Hawaiian education efforts, and improvements to existing programs, policies and procedures.

The act required the council to be made up of not more than 25 members from federal, state and private educational organizations serving Native Hawaiians.

The current council has 16 members, led by Michelle Balutski, a 2005 Kame­ha­meha Schools graduate and executive director of the Hawaii Wellness Institute, a small nonprofit in Kalihi. It has a staff of two.

Under the bill the council also would be required to hold annual meetings on each island and submit a report to the U.S. Department of Education explaining its funding recommendations. The Education Department would be required to report annually on the program’s funding and results.

"The Native Hawaiian Education Act has improved educational achievement for thousands of Native Hawaiian students, and the changes that we are proposing to the law today will help sustain it for the long haul," said Hirono. "By increasing the program’s transparency, bolstering accountability and ensuring its effectiveness, we can continue to provide children on every island with culturally relevant educational programs."

Gabbard added that with the changes proposed, "The NHEA opens the program to Native Hawaiian-focused public charter schools, increases communication between Hawaii stakeholders and the U.S. Department of Education, and provides a great opportunity for community participation."

The bill was included in a larger education proposal introduced in the Senate last week. Original co-sponsors included Alaska U.S. Sens. Lisa Mur­kow­ski and Mark Begich and their colleague U.S. Rep. Don Young.

The proposal followed Tuesday’s inaugural round-table meeting hosted by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and the Alaska Federation of Natives, which convened lawmakers and advocates to reaffirm the states’ continuing collaboration on behalf of indigenous peoples.