Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2705, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permit the Department of Education to employ retired teachers and administrators to teach full-time in teacher shortage areas identified by the Department, provided the retirees have been retired for one calendar year.

In addition, the measure authorizes the rehired teachers to serve as mentors to new classroom teachers immediately upon being rehired and provides that the retired teacher or administrator who returns to the classroom continue to be entitled to retirement benefits without penalty.

Your Committee finds that many long time teachers of the "baby boom" generation are retiring, leaving difficult to fill vacancies. Existing shortages in certain teaching fields or geographic areas makes the teacher shortage caused by retirement even more difficult. Your Committee believes that this measure will allow the Department of Education to alleviate the teacher shortage by rehiring experienced teachers. The bill also benefits new teachers by providing mentors to assist new classroom teachers.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2705, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.