Senate Committee on Education (EDU) - chair: Sakamoto

Monday, February 5, 2007, 1:15 Capitol 225

Testifier: Mary Anne Raywid, Chair, Education Committee, LWV-Hawaii

Click here to view SB4

The League of Women Voters urges you to defeat S.B. 4. It is integral to the American tradition that the office of Board of Education member is a volunteer, not a paid position. If it were to become a paid position -- which we do not favor -- this should happen only after requirements had carefully been established for the position. It should first be carefully considered whether the position shouldn't be a civil service post with registered qualifications to be met by those considered for the job. otherwise, it should be an elected office with accountability procedures carefully established. Hawaii's Board of Education members are already paid $100 for each meeting they attend -- committee meetings as well as Board meetings -- something which is not typical practice elsewhere. Their services, then, do not currently go totally unrecompensed. We feel it would be a mistake to make them salaried employees, and we hope you will not do so.