STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1141

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 41
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No.
41, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:

     (1)  Extend the sunset date for the Hawaii Teacher Standards
          Board (Board) from 2000 to 2010; and

     (2)  Provide for the staggering of the terms of its members.

     Testimony in support of the bill was submitted by the
Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association,
the Hawaii Business Roundtable, and the Dean of the College of
Education of the University of Hawaii.  The Board supported the
intent of the bill.  An individual testified in opposition to the
bill.

     Your Committee supports the establishment of standards for
the issuance of licenses and credentials for teachers.  The Board
will raise standards for teachers, involve professional educators
in the creation of the standards, and hold professional educators
accountable for meeting the standards.  In its short history, the
Board has created an excellent set of teacher standards that
reflect the best thinking in the field.  However, the work of the
Board is not complete, as it must refine standards for school

 
 
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counselors and librarians, and it must work closely with the
Department of Education to ensure that the standards are
appropriately applied.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by making the Board
permanent rather than extending its sunset date.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
41, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 41, S.D. 1, H.D.
1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and
Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair