STAND. COM. REP. NO. 188

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 650

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 650 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow public school teachers to receive credit towards an incremental or longevity step salary increase for any degree or coursework completed, regardless of the relevance of the degree or coursework to teaching.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association and one individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Education (DOE) and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that, according to testimony provided, in years past, the DOE provided credit to teachers upon hiring for credits in addition to their bachelor's or master's degrees, as appropriate.  However, in recent years, the DOE has abandoned this practice and only provides salary enhancements based upon coursework or degrees earned during employment as an incentive to ensure teachers continue to pursue professional development.  Your Committee further finds that it is unclear as to the number of and the extent to which newly hired teachers are being adversely impacted under the DOE's current policy.  Furthermore, it is unclear whether this policy serves its intended purpose or if it fails to provide adequate incentives to recruit qualified teachers and appropriately compensate them based upon their training and experience. 

     Therefore, your Committee believes that further information is required to ascertain the extent of the problem and determine how to best serve the interests of the DOE, in saving money and encouraging its current teachers to continue to pursue professional development, and the new teachers, in enticing them to teach in our public schools by appropriately compensating them based on their academic achievements and training.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the provision requiring the DOE to allow teachers to receive credit for any degree or coursework completed, regardless of the relevance of the degree or coursework to teaching; and

     (2)  Requiring the DOE to conduct a study and report to the Legislature on:

          (A)  The number of newly hired teachers with a start date of August 1, 2007, or later, who possess either bachelor's or master's degrees and credits in excess of those degrees for which they will not receive credit from the DOE in determining their salary or position classification;

          (B)  Information on the types of credits earned;

          (C)  The number of credits in excess of degrees earned;

          (D)  The subject matter areas of the credits earned;

          (E)  The relevance of the credits earned to teaching; and

          (F)  The cost impact of providing compensation to those teachers with excess credits.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 650, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 650, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair