HB25 HD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	25
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

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 public school principals could select.

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~~ ~~mid‑Atlantic states, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington~~.] all other states."

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 Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.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.