STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2853

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3252

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3252, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to address the teacher shortage problem in the State through various initiatives and to make appropriations.

     More specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Appropriates funds for public school teachers and teacher candidates to take PRAXIS preparatory courses, tutorials, or programs to become highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act;

     (2)  Provides teachers with full service credit for prior teaching experience, up to a maximum of ten years, when determining the classification of a teacher hired to teach in a hard-to-fill school or subject area; except that such teachers hired between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2008, shall not receive retroactive pay related to the full service credited;

     (3)  Provides national board certified teachers with full credit for the teacher's total number of years of teaching experience;

     (4)  Makes appropriation to establish a teacher workforce strategic planning committee to develop and implement a strategic teacher workforce development plan, among other duties;

     (5)  Appropriates funds to establish professional development schools within Hawaii public schools to train preservice teachers;

     (6)  Appropriates funds to complex areas for academic coaches for students and programs relating to the professional development and retention of teachers;

     (7)  Establishes the teacher housing allowance program to provide housing assistance and appropriates funds for the program and for repair and maintenance of existing teacher housing;

     (8)  Appropriates funds for the Hawaii teacher cadet program to address the teacher shortage;

     (9)  Appropriates funds for a Hawaii beginning teacher induction pilot program within the Department of Education; and

    (10)  Appropriates funds to establish additional teacher education positions.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  The Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Educational Policy Center, and the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that qualified teachers are a valuable resource in any state.  One of the most critical problems in our State is attracting and keeping qualified teachers in our public schools.  Good teachers inspire our children to become good students.  Good students become knowledgeable, productive, and responsible citizens, who also contribute to the development of a qualified workforce.  A skilled, available workforce is essential to the economic well-being of the State.  Your Committee believes that this measure takes significant steps in addressing issues relating to qualified teachers.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

     (1)  Providing up to ten years of prior teaching credit to teachers hired to teach in shortage area categories and teachers who meet all requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act;

     (2)  Deleting provisions relating to the establishment and funding of a teacher workforce strategic planning commission;

     (3)  Deleting an appropriation of funds for the repair and maintenance of existing teacher housing;

     (4)  Deleting provisions relating to the establishment and funding of sixteen additional teacher education positions at the West Oahu campus of the University of Hawaii;

     (5)  Changing the amounts appropriated in all provisions to unspecified amounts to facilitate further discussion; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3252, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3252, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair