Deletes requirement that principals and vice-principals must have served as a teacher for five years.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. In recent years, the legislature has asked the department of education to to ensure greater accountability throughout its ranks. In turn, the department has been granted an increasing amount of freedom over internal decisions so that it may more flexibly effect reforms and operate more efficiently. As this process evolves, it is hoped that more responsibility can be delegated to the department and its governing body, the board of education, by making our education laws less presciptive.

The laws relating to educational personnel are one area where less stringent standards would be very beneficial. The department faces a looming crisis in attempting to hire personnel to replace large numbers of employees who are projected to retire in the near future. This problem is particularly acute for upper-level school officials, namely principals and vice-principals. Currently, the department is required by statute to hire only those who have at least five years of teaching experience as principals or vice-principals. Removing this requirement would make it much easier for the department to hire the necessary number of competent individuals to fill these positions. The department would then be free to hire candidates who are very qualified, but who may not have necessarily worked as a teacher for five or more years.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to authorize the board of education to prescribe the requirements to serve as a principal or vice-principal of a public school.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-605, Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended to read as follows:

"§302A-605 Principals and vice-principals. Principals and vice-principals shall meet the department's certification requirements [and shall have served as a teacher for a period of not less than five years]."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.