Report Title:
Teachers; continuing ed expenses
Description:
Requires the department of education to pay for teacher's continuing education classes or provide duplicate instruction.
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1629 |
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TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to teachers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that public school teachers must purchase non-transferable units of continuing education at considerable expense to allow them higher pay. The purpose of this Act is to work with the department of education to alleviate the expense teachers are required to pay for classes which move them to a higher pay scale.
SECTION 2. Section 302A-618, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[§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.
(e) The department shall pay for classes of instruction taken by teachers to satisfy the classifications as determined by this section. In the alternative, the department may provide instruction that is equal to the instruction in the classes the teachers would have taken to fulfill the requirements of this section."
SECTION 3. Section 302A-624, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[§302A-624] Teachers' salary schedule. (a) The salary schedule for all teachers of the department of education shall be negotiated pursuant to section 89-9.
(b) All teachers must meet the following requirements:
(1) A teacher must earn at least five credits within a three-year cycle in order to receive increment or longevity step increases in the third year of the three-year cycle;
(2) A teacher who fails to meet the requirement set forth in paragraph (1) shall not be eligible for any increment or longevity step increases until the teacher earns the credit requirement for the three-year cycle;
(3) Any credit earned in excess of any three-year credit requirement may not be carried over beyond the three-year cycle; and
(4) Credits earned can be in the form of in-service, university, or other credits approved by the department.
(c) A teacher is required to spend at least one year in Class III before going on to Class IV, at least one year in Class IV before going on to Class V, at least one year in Class V before going on to Class VI, and at least one year in Class VI before going on to Class VII.
(d) In case of promotion from a teaching position to an educational officer, the employee shall receive compensation at the lowest step of the higher grade that exceeds the employee's existing compensation by at least eight per cent if such a step exists.
(e) Effective July 1, 1996, the per diem rate for substitute teachers shall be based on the annual entry step salary rate established for a Class II teacher on the most current teachers' salary schedule. The per diem rate shall be derived from the annual rate in accordance with the following formula:
Per Diem Rate = Annual Salary Rate
Average Working Days Per Month
(f) The department shall pay for classes of instruction teachers take to satisfy the requirements of this section. In the alternative, the department may provide instruction that is equal to the instruction in the classes the teacher would have taken to fulfill the requirements of this section."
SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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