Allows the Department of Education to consider hiring persons with bachelors or higher degrees who have teaching experience to teach in subjects in which they have a degree. Requires that one member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board come from a non-teaching background. Authorizes the Department of Education to expand on the standardized statewide Teacher Induction Program.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. 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] no more than [six] five licensed teachers regularly engaged in teaching, three educational officers, at least one person with a non-teaching background, the chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson's designee, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee, a representative of independent schools, 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 2. Section 302A-802, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) In the development of its standards, the board shall consider the existing teacher applicant pool that is available in the State and the level of the qualification of these applicants, as well as the nature and availability of existing preservice higher education teacher training programs. The board may also consider for employment persons who have a bachelor's or higher degree and who have prior experience in teaching or teacher training. However, such persons shall only be considered for positions teaching subjects in which they have a degree."

SECTION 3. The department of education may implement formal mentoring programs to support newly hired teachers expanding on the standardized statewide teacher induction program established in Act 159, section 10, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.