Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2065 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(3) Lower teacher-student ratios.

Your Committee received testimony in support of part of the measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the measure from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committee finds that the definition of teacher to mean those who spend not less than 70% of their formal employment time in the direct classroom instruction of students would force the Department of Education to create a new classification system for non-instructional specialty teachers and support personnel. It could also unfairly discriminate against those valuable employees who do not have instruction as a primary function, such as registrars, student services coordinators, school activity coordinators, school counselors, librarians, and resource teachers.

Your Committee further finds that small class size is a crucial element in achieving high academic achievement and holistic development among students. Nevertheless, the effort to place more teachers in the public educational system as mandated by this measure may cause the State undue fiscal hardship in a time when budgets must be kept trim.

Your Committee has amended the measure by eliminating the provisions to:

(2) Lower teacher-student ratios.

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. 2065, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2065, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.