STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1287-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2663

      S.D. 2

      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 Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2663, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is assist the operations and increase the accountability of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) by:

     (1)  Making clarifying changes to its membership and nomination process;

     (2)  Appropriating funds for HTSB to coordinate an effort to create a network incorporating the teacher education institutions and the Department of Education (DOE) to support the free interchange of information valuable to all participating organizations; and

     (3)  Expanding the scope of information provided by HTSB in its annual report and summary report to the Governor and Legislature.

     DOE, the University of Hawaii, HTSB, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and a concerned individual offered comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by: 

     (1)  Deleting the amendment to change the membership of the board from 13 to 15 members;

     (2)  Requiring that there be on HTSB, no fewer than seven, rather than eight, licensed teachers regularly engaged in teaching; and

     (3)  Clarifying that any state chapter of a national professional organization that represents teachers or school administrators, shall contribute to the list of qualified nominees from which the Governor is to appoint HTSB members.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2663, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2663, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair