STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2094

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2698

       S.D. 1

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. 2698 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the Hawaii Educator Loan Program to include state-approved teacher education programs outside of the University of Hawaii and the State.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Office of the Governor, the Department of Education, Hawaii Pacific University, and one individual.  Testimony in opposition of the measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii System.

     Your Committee finds that it is a challenge for the Department of Education to recruit and retain qualified teachers to teach in our public schools.  The difficulty of this task is exacerbated when seeking qualified teachers to teach in hard-to-fill positions or geographically isolated schools.  Growing a local teacher workforce is essential to providing quality public education throughout the State.  Pursuant to Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, the Legislature established the Hawaii Educator Loan Program as a tool for recruiting college students within the University of Hawaii System to become educators and to ensure that these graduates teach in our public schools.  This measure seeks to expand the program by including loans for students in approved teacher education programs outside of the University of Hawaii and the State.  Your Committee believes that the expansion of this program will encourage a greater number of individual to return to teach in Hawaii's public schools.

     Upon consideration of testimony and other information provided, your Committee understands that the cost of administering the program could increase greatly with the expansion of the program.  Your Committee believes that these expenses should be provided for and not unfairly borne by the University of Hawaii.  Additionally, your Committee wants to ensure that the Superintendent of Education considers charter schools in making determinations of which schools qualify as geographically isolated schools that are eligible under this program.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by including a provision that specifies a portion of funds appropriated shall be used for administrative costs of the Hawaii Educator Loan Program.

     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. 2698, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2698, S.D. 1, 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