Report Title:

Teaching Licensure; Standards; Out-of-State Teachers

Description:

Authorizes the issuance of a Hawaii teacher's license based on the possession of an active license from California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Washington, and from any state whose licensure standards are the same or higher than those of Hawaii.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	605
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 mid-Atlantic states,]  Issue Hawaii licenses to teachers with licenses issued by California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington[.], and any other state whose licensing standards are not lower 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 on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:

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