SB605 SD1

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	605
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
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 the department of education, the schools, and its students are best served by the existence of a teacher workforce that consists of effective, knowledgeable, and qualified teachers. Yet, the current licensure process for teachers in Hawaii contains barriers to allowing otherwise effective, knowledgeable, and qualified teachers from becoming licensed in the State, particularly in the cases of teachers from outside of the State. Licensed teachers from other states often move to Hawaii with the intent of continuing to pursue their teaching careers. These individuals are often highly-qualified teachers who have been licensed and certified by other jurisdictions with reputable teaching standards and school systems.

The legislature further finds that there is a critical teacher shortage in Hawaii and that during difficult times such as these the State must explore alternatives to the current methods for recruiting and retaining qualified teachers to teach in our public schools. However, it is also important not to compromise the standards by which the State determines that a teacher is appropriately qualified to teach within the State. While the legislature continues to support high standards for teachers, those standards can be met through alternative licensing qualifications that are not prohibitive to qualified individuals seeking to teach in Hawaii.

Currently, the Hawaii teacher standards board is tasked with pursuing full teacher license reciprocity with the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington. The automatic licensure of teachers from outside of the State will be of great benefit to our schools and our students by generating an abundance of highly qualified teachers from which principals may select to teach in their schools.

The purpose of this Act is to increase the teacher workforce by allowing qualified teachers from certain jurisdictions outside of the State to become licensed to teach in Hawaii. Additionally, this Act requires the Hawaii teacher standards board to continue to pursue full teacher licensing reciprocity with not only a limited number of states, but instead with all states across the country.

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,~~] vocational, 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,~~] all other states; and

(6) Issue Hawaii licenses to teachers with licenses issued by California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington."

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.