The Senate Committee on Education today moved forward three bills relating to menstrual equity and teacher compensation.
SB2821 requires the Department of Education and the State Public Charter School Commission to provide menstrual products free of charge to all students requiring it.
SB2819 and SB2820 relate to teacher compensation. SB2819 makes an appropriation to fund an experimental modernization project to make necessary discretionary salary adjustments as well as eliminate the limitations on teacher classifications currently in statute. SB2820 would appropriate funds for various teacher differentials to help address labor shortages in the areas of Special Education, Hawaiian Immersion and hard-to-fill schools.
Senator Michelle Kidani, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, issued the following statement after the hearing.
“The Senate continues to work to improve the quality of life for both teachers and students. These bills ensure that our students have access to menstrual products when needed and advances efforts to retain teachers through pay increases.
I would like to thank the advocates for menstrual equity, several of whom have worked with myself and my office for many months over the interim to get us to this place. A special mahalo to Nikki-Ann Yee of the Ma’i Movement Hawai’i and Ilima Intermediate teacher Sara “Mili” Milianta-Laffin and her students.
I would also like to thank Interim Superintendent Hayashi for publicly voicing support for our educators and for working with the Senate on addressing teacher compensation. I look forward to continuing the conversation with the Interim Superintendent, HSTA and our other community advocates.”