[§302A-618] Classification, teachers. (a) The designation of any teacher to any given class shall be determined by the department in accordance with its certification requirements.
(b) Teachers shall be classified as follows:
(1) A Class I teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department and who does not qualify as a Class II, III, IV, V, VI, or VII teacher as described below;
(2) A Class II teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon four acceptable years of college education and other requirements as may be established by the department;
(3) A Class III teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon five acceptable years of college education and other requirements as may be established by the department;
(4) A Class IV teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon five acceptable years of college education and fifteen additional credits approved by the department and other requirements as may be established by the department;
(5) A Class V teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon five acceptable years of college education and thirty additional credits approved by the department and other requirements as may be established by the department;
(6) A Class VI teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon five acceptable years of college education and forty-five additional credits approved by the department and other requirements as may be established by the department; and
(7) A Class VII teacher is any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon five acceptable years of college education and sixty-six additional credits approved by the department and other requirements as may be established by the department, or any teacher who holds a certificate issued by the department based upon a doctorate and who teaches subjects in or related to the teacher's major.
(c) Any teacher teaching technical school courses who is transferred to a community college under the jurisdiction of the board of regents of the University of Hawaii shall not suffer any loss of salary, seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefit or privilege.
(d) Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, this section shall be interpreted as though the terms "certification" and "certificate" read "licensing" or "credentialing", and "license" or "credential", as the latter terms are used in subpart D, and as circumstances require. [L 1996, c 89, pt of §2]