STAND. COM. REP. NO.  304-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2279

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2279 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII TEACHER CADET PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to address the teacher shortage in Hawaii by appropriating funds for the Hawaii Teacher Cadet Program (Program), including its operations.  These operations include the recruitment of additional schools, training of teachers, teacher support, mentoring of students, and tracking of students in the Program.

     The Department of Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, Hawaii Alliance for Future Teachers (HAFT), and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

     You Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring that the teacher labor necessary to carry out the operations of the Program be provided HAFT on a strictly voluntary basis; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 2279, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2279, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair