STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1771

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 169

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 169 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REVIEW ANY AND ALL POLICIES OR RULES RELATED TO DRESS CODES AND SCHOOL UNIFORMS TO ENSURE THE FULL PROTECTION AND GUARANTEE OF ALL CIVIL RIGHTS OF STUDENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to review dress code or uniform policies or rules to ensure the full protection of students' civil rights.

     Your Committees held a hearing on a proposed S.D. 1 of this measure, which provisions sought to address the current teacher shortage problem by requesting the Department of Education to develop a recruitment and retention program to include a Hawaii Teacher Cadet Program Advisory Council and conduct a study on the status and needs of existing teacher housing.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the Department of Education.

     Your Committees find that the current teacher shortage problem in the State must be carefully examined and that alternative approaches should be considered to reach resolution.  It is important to consider appropriate incentives to ensure a highly-qualified teaching pool in Hawaii.  Your Committees find that the Hawaii Teacher Cadet Program is a valuable tool for encouraging and supporting the development of a teaching workforce in the State from an early age.  This program would benefit from further guidance and coordination of efforts to maximize its impact and scope.  Additionally, your Committees find that another attractive benefit for teachers is to provide teacher housing or related incentives.  First existing teacher housing must be ascertained and examined, as well as the current need for teacher housing and improvements, so that an appropriate plan can be developed for providing the incentive to teachers as a means for addressing the current teacher shortage.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by removing its contents and replacing it with language that requests the Department of Education to develop a recruitment and retention program to include:

     (1)  The establishment of the Hawaii Teacher Cadet Program Advisory Council; and

     (2)  The undertaking of a study to determine the status and needs of existing teacher housing.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 169, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 169, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair