Report Title:

DOE; Teacher Licensing

Description:

Authorizes the board of education to issue Hawaii teaching licenses to teachers with licenses from other states whose licensing standards are equivalent to or higher than Hawaii's.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	25
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to teacher licensing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii's public schools would be well served if there were an abundance of highly qualified teachers from which principals could select for their schools.

     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 criteria allowing more individuals with trade or industry experience 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]  Issue Hawaii licenses to teachers with licenses issued by the mid‑Atlantic states, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington[.], and with any other state whose licensing standards are equivalent to or higher than Hawaii's."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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