STAND. COM. REP. NO.365-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: H.B. No. 2037
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Education and Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2037 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION REFORM,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to establish a new governance and management structure for the Department of Education (DOE).
The Board of Education, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and League of Women Voters submitted testimony in opposition to this bill. The Hawaii State Teachers Union and Hawaii Educational Policy Center submitted comments on this bill.
Your Committees find that this bill will effect many important changes that will improve DOE's performance by bringing resources closer to the schools and establishing clearer lines of authority. The inefficiency of the current system must be addressed through systemic change, as proposed in this bill. Your Committees find that if enacted, this bill will allow for more responsiveness to the needs of schools, while ensuring greater accountability in DOE leadership.
Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this bill by:
(1) Deleting provisions establishing advisory councils to the Superintendent of Education in various subject matter areas;
(2) Specifying that the Superintendent of Education shall be responsible for coordinating, rather than executing, statewide educational policy and the administration of programs of public education;
(3) Specifying that school complex areas shall be established as determined by DOE;
(4) Requiring school complex areas to cover a contiguous land area to the extent possible, except for the islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Lanai, which may be incorporated into other school complex areas;
(5) Changing the name of "chief executive officers" to "complex area superintendents";
(6) Providing for one area school board for each school complex area;
(7) Specifying that complex area boards shall be responsible and accountable for the delivery of public education and the development of educational policy within each complex area
(8) Devolving the authority for specific functions and responsibilities relating to the delivery of education and the development of policy from the superintendent to the complex area boards;
(9) Requiring, rather than allowing, school complex areas to be assigned responsibility for the administration and operation of special education programs;
(10) Specifying that each school complex area board shall consist of four members elected by residents of complex areas, and three members appointed by the Superintendent of Education;
(11) Requiring school complex area boards to appoint their complex area superintendent from a list of three candidates provided by the Superintendent of Education;
(12) Establishing guidelines for the election and appointment of area board members;
(13) Requiring complex area superintendents to hire, evaluate, and remove school principals and vice-principals; and
(14) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor and Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2037, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2037, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Labor and Public Employment,
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____________________________ SCOTT SAIKI, Chair |
____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair |
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