Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1245 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow students to be included, as appropriate, in the evaluation program of classroom teachers.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Parent Teacher Student Association. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Education. The Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that our students are our most important consumers of educational services and student achievement is the public education system's most important product. Your Committee further finds that our students should have a voice in the evaluation of teachers to the extent that their feedback can provide constructive criticism regarding the effectiveness of a teacher's instructional methods and curriculum choices. Your Committee believes that student input as part of teacher evaluations should not be used solely to adversely affect the employment status of any one teacher nor should it be used other than as agreed upon through the collective bargaining process.

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. 1245 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.