Report Title:
School Administrators; Principals; Certification
Description:
Requires the department of education to establish a Hawaii administrator standards task force to identify qualification standards for principals and vice-principals. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1392 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005 |
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 Hawaii's restrictive requirements for certifying school administrators, such as principals and vice-principals, have prevented qualified individuals with talent and experience from obtaining suitable positions within their desired school district. Furthermore, when such qualified individuals, many of whom have experience in a private school or as an administrator in another state, are in the process of becoming certified, which can take more than three years, their temporary positions are advertised each year for certified administrators who have tenure and can take over those administrator positions. Due to the lack of job security, such a system creates little incentive for those who are attempting to become certified to improve their schools.
The legislature further finds that strong and consistent leadership in our schools is one of the major components to developing an improved system for educating students.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a Hawaii administrator standards task force to review the certification requirements and waivers for administrators of the department of education.
SECTION 2. Hawaii administrator standards task force. (a) There is established, within the department of education, the Hawaii administrator standards task force. The task force shall consist of nine members, composed of the following:
(1) Six licensed education administrators from the department of education, regularly engaged in education administration, and a representative of the community, of which two each shall be appointed by the governor, president of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives;
(2) The chairperson of the board of education, or the chairperson's designee;
(3) The superintendent of education, or the superintendent's designee; and
(4) An active faculty member of a university-level education administration training program, appointed by the dean of the University of Hawaii college of education.
(b) Task force members shall receive no compensation. When duties require that a member take leave of the member's duties as a state employee, the appropriate department shall allow the member to be placed on administrative leave with pay and shall provide substitutes, when necessary, to perform that member's duties. Members shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of official task force business.
(c) The department of education shall provide administrative, clerical, and other support staff to assist the task force in the administration of its duties.
(d) The chair of the task force shall be designated by the members of the task force.
(e) The task force shall:
(1) Identify certification standards that cause unnecessary delays in processing prospective administrators;
(2) Identify proposed amendments to existing certification standards that could enable the department of education to utilize the existing education administrator applicant pool that is available in the State; and
(3) Review the criteria of the department's ability to waive certain certification requirements.
(f) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including recommended legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2006, and shall cease to exist on June 30, 2006.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, for the Hawaii administrator standards task force established in section 2 of this Act to assist in the performance of its duties under this Act.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2005.