STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2114

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2676

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2676 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize and fund sixteen additional positions at the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus for teacher education.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii West Oahu.

     Your Committee finds that the State continues to experience a teacher shortage problem in the public schools.  Efforts to grow a local teacher workforce will help to alleviate the teacher shortage, while providing our public schools with quality teachers.  In order to cultivate a larger, qualified teacher workforce, our public postsecondary institutions must be adequately staffed.  This measure appropriates funds for the establishment of sixteen additional positions at the University of Hawaii West Oahu to help prepare middle-level and secondary teachers, particular in the core subject areas of science, English, mathematics, and social studies.  Your Committee believes that providing additional support to the University of Hawaii West Oahu will help to prepare much-needed highly qualified middle-level and secondary teachers to teach in our public schools.

     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. 2676 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair