Report Title:
Education; Out-of-field Teachers; Hawaii Teacher Standards Board
Description:
Defines "teaching out-of-field" as teaching outside their authorized licensing field indicated on an individual's license; and "out-of-field teacher" as an individual who is teaching outside their authorized licensing field indicated on the individual's license. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1237 |
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TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that section 302A-804, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the department of education to report data annually to the Hawaii teacher standards board about the supply of, and demand for, teachers, including the identification of shortage areas, out-of-field teaching assignments, numbers of teachers teaching out-of-field, numbers and types of courses and classes taught by out-of-field teachers, and numbers and types of students taught by out-of-field teachers. The legislature further finds that the definitions of "teaching out-of-field", "out-of-field teaching", and "out-of-field teacher" are vague and subject to differing interpretations by the department of education and the Hawaii teacher standards board.
These differing interpretations have made it practically impossible for labor and management to assess and evaluate the supply of, and demand for, teachers. Consequently, the purpose of this Act is to define, for statistical purposes, "teaching out-of-field", "out-of-field teaching", and "out-of-field teacher".
SECTION 2. Section 302A-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new definitions to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:
""Out-of-field teacher" means a teacher who is teaching outside the teacher's authorized licensing field as indicated on the teacher's license issued by the Hawaii teacher standards board.
"Teaching out-of-field" and "out-of-field teaching" means teaching outside the teacher's authorized licensing field as indicated on an teacher's license issued by the Hawaii teacher standards board."
SECTION 3. Section 302A-804, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§302A-804 Powers and duties of the department. The department shall retain all of its rights and powers except for the authority provided to the board under this subpart. The department's powers and duties under this subpart shall be limited to:
(1) Hiring, except in emergency situations as described in this chapter, licensed teachers to teach in their fields of licensing;
(2) Reporting data [annually] to the board in an annual report that shall be posted on the department's Internet website, about the supply of, and demand for, teachers, including the identification of shortage areas, out-of-field teaching assignments, numbers of teachers teaching out-of-field, numbers and types of courses and classes taught by out-of-field teachers, and numbers and types of students taught by out-of-field teachers;
(3) On an emergency and case-by-case basis, hiring unlicensed individuals; provided that:
(A) A list of the names, work sites, teaching assignments, and progress toward licensing of these individuals shall be reported to the board, and any changes shall be updated on a monthly basis by the department;
(B) There are no properly licensed teachers for the specific assignments for which the individuals are being hired; and
(C) No individual may be employed by the department on an emergency basis for more than four years. During this time the individual must demonstrate active pursuit of licensing in each year of employment;
(4) Submitting [an annual report] to the board an annual report that shall be posted on the department's Internet website documenting:
(A) The number of emergency hires by subject matter areas and by schools;
(B) The reasons and duration of employment for the emergency hiring enumerated in subparagraph (A);
(C) Individual progress toward licensing; and
(D) The department's efforts to address the shortages described in subparagraph (A); and
(5) Providing any other information requested by the board that is pertinent to its powers and duties."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.