How Public Participation and Transparency is observed at Hawai'i BOE meetings

Hawai'i State Board of Education during their General Business Meeting
 yesterday. Photo taken by the blogger. 

I had the opportunity as a professional fellow placed here at the Hawai'i State Department of Education to witness how education policymakers work and conduct session which was held yesterday.  

The Hawaii State Board of Education formulates policy and exercises control over the public school and library systems, according to the Hawaii State Department of Education website. 

During the Human Resources Meeting in the morning, the Hope Street Group, a national non-partisan, non-profit organization, presented some of their various teacher empowerment and positivity initiatives such as the Hawai'i State Teacher Fellows Program yesterday. 

HR Committee Chairman Brian De Lima presided the meeting. 

Kelly Miyamura, the Director of the Hawaii State Teacher Fellows Program said that this could address teacher retention in the state. 

"Teachers are the best teachers for teachers," said HR Comm Member Pat Bregin after congratulating the effort of the group on their fellowship program. Another HR Committee Member Bruce Voss said that the fellowship program for teachers is a way that turn teachers into leaders. 

 The second session in the morning was the Finance and Infrastructure Committee Meeting wherein they discussed the supplementary budgets of the State Department of Education and the State Public Library System for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. Both were approved but it underwent interrogation from some members of the Board.

The BOE website links to live audio of what's happening in the
meeting and also all the agenda and presentation in the meeting. 

Public Participation and Transparent Governance

Another factor I liked in the meeting is the transparency and how public participation is observed. The website publishes all the agenda for the day's meeting and also links to the live audio streaming of the meeting for public to be informed on what's going on or what's being discussed. 

Public testimony is also published on the website of BOE.

Moreover, public can share their sentiments by writing a testimony and deliver these testimonies during the meeting. According to some people I got to ask why is this observed is because the Board wanted to hear the views of the public before deciding on various policies being implemented in the education sector here. 

In the Philippines, government offices also observe good governance by being transparent, however not all meetings which concern the public is broadcast for public. I do hope some offices in the Philippines open not only its doors for public but also its doors online by opening meetings which concern the public via live audio streaming, live broadcast, or other platforms. 

As Committee on Education Chairman in our local legislative council, it is an opportunity to witness how these education policymakers work, decide, and conduct meetings on various issues concerning the public school systems here.