Report Title:
Education; Hawaii Teachers Standard Board; Vocational Education
Description:
Directs the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board to create alternative criteria and other measures of qualification for highly qualified vocational education and career pathway teachers. Effective July 1, 2020. (SB2887 SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2887 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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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 vocational, technical, and career pathway education classes provide students with opportunities to apply knowledge and skills to real-life work experiences. These classes also help students develop the technical, academic, employability, and life skills needed for a career or post-secondary education. Required core classes and specific area classes currently offered in the public school system encompass six major career pathways:
(1) Industrial and educational technology;
(2) Arts and communication;
(3) Natural resources;
(4) Human services;
(5) Health; and
(6) Business.
For the 2004 school year, there were forty thousand public school students from grades nine to twelve enrolled in vocational, technical, and career pathway education classes in their schools. The legislature finds that there is a need to provide an adequate number of highly-qualified vocational, technical, and career pathway education teachers to improve the delivery of instruction in these classes.
The purpose of this Act is to increase the number of vocational, technical, and career pathway education teachers by directing the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board to set alternative criteria and establish other measures of qualification necessary for these types of teachers to meet licensing standards.
SECTION 2. 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] criteria [for licensing] allowing more individuals with [practical] trade or industry experience [for teaching] to teach in vocational[/], technical, and career pathway programs[;], and criteria for the issuance of permits allowing qualified individuals to teach when recommended by the superintendent. The department shall be responsible for the review and acceptance of the relevant licenses, certificates, or other qualifications related to an individual's vocational, technical, or career pathway education-related experience that the department deems necessary for a permit. The department shall have the authority to waive the requirement of a bachelor's degree to teach in a vocation, technical, or career pathway education program;
(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) Clarify the requirements, on a state-by-state basis, for out-of-state licensed teachers to obtain a license in Hawaii;
(4) 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) Pursue full teacher license reciprocity with the mid-Atlantic states, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.