Report Title:
Teacher shortage; emergency hires
Description:
Allows the superintendent of education to hire emergency certified teachers. Expands the areas of representation on the Hawaii Teacher Standards board without increasing the number of members.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2311 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes that when state government is faced with a labor shortage or with occupational areas that are difficult to fill, the State needs to be creative and flexible in finding ways to attract and retain skilled employees.
The legislature further acknowledges that the department of education faces particular challenges filling vacant teacher positions in smaller schools, rural schools, and schools in hard to reach locations, as well as math and science teaching positions.
It is the legislature's intent that this Act will strike a balance between the department of education's requirement to have an adequate number of trained teachers teaching in each classroom, and the candidate's desire to teach in the Hawaii public school and charter school system. This Act will establish an emergency certified teacher program and allow the superintendent of education to hire emergency certified teachers. Under the program, a person with an accredited college bachelor's or higher degree would be qualified to teach in the subject in which they are degreed, if the person completes the same or similar training course provided to substitute teachers in the department of education. This Act will also expand the areas of representation on the Hawaii teachers standards board by providing that at least one of the members shall come from a non-teaching background.
SECTION 2. Section 302A-801, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) There is established the Hawaii teacher standards board, which shall be placed within the department for administrative purposes only. The board shall consist of thirteen members, including not less than [six] five licensed teachers regularly engaged in teaching, three educational officers, the chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson's designee, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee, a representative of independent schools, a representative from a non-teaching background such as the parent teacher student association, Hawaii Business Roundtable, or chamber of commerce, and the dean of the University of Hawaii college of education or the dean's designee; provided that the dean's designee shall be chosen from the member institutions of the teacher education coordinating committee established under section 304-20."
SECTION 3. Section 302A-802, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
"(c) The board shall adopt policies, exempt from chapters 91 and 92, to initiate the following:
(1) Develop a plan for licensing more individuals with practical experience for teaching in vocational/technical programs;
(2) Develop a plan to accept teachers from any state as long as they have completed state-approved teacher education programs and pass relevant Hawaii teacher examinations or their equivalent;
(3) Establish a process for expedited teacher certification for person's with an accredited college bachelor's or higher degree to teach in the subject in which they are degreed, provided that they complete the same or similar training course provided to substitute teachers in the department of education.
[(3)] (4) Clarify the requirements, on a state-by-state basis, for out-of-state licensed teachers to obtain a license in Hawaii;
[(4)] (5) Develop a plan to facilitate licensing for those who intend to teach in Hawaii immersion programs, the island of Niihau, or any other extraordinary situation as defined by the superintendent or the superintendent's designee; and
[(5)] (6) Pursue full teacher license reciprocity with the mid-Atlantic states, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington."
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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By Request |