STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3215

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 115

       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.C.R. No. 115 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONVENE A PILOT PROJECT TO ALLOW A SCHOOL COMPLEX TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL DEPARTMENT RULES AND POLICIES THAT IMPEDE EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING, ADMINISTERING, AND TEACHING AND TO OPERATE FREE OF THOSE RULES AND POLICIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to establish at least one three year pilot model complex to identify critical department rules and policies that impede effective decision-making, administering, and teaching and to operate free of those rules and policies.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Wai‘anae High School Community Council.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Hawaii Government Employees Association and one private individual.

     Your Committee finds that the public school system is responsible for providing our keiki with a quality education to prepare them for postsecondary education or the workforce.  School and complex personnel, programs, and resources could be better utilized if they were able to operate free from the control and restrictions imposed by the Department of Education's rules and policies.  School administrators and personnel are closer to their student constituencies and their increased authority would facilitate the appropriate allocation of underutilized or inefficiently utilized resources within the schools or complexes to achieve greater efficiency and improved results.  This measure requests the Department of Education to establish at least one three year pilot model complex to identify critical department rules and policies that impede effective decision-making, administering, and teaching and to operate free of those rules and policies.  Your Committee determines that the pilot project speaks to the concerns of administrators and teachers who have expressed that the provision of more authority and opportunities to the administrators and teachers would enhance learning in the schools and result in increased accountability.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the model complex established pursuant to this measure shall be allowed to operate free of identified and agreed upon department rules and policies, in year two, after consultation with the Department of Education, the exclusive representatives for bargaining units for teachers, principals, and classified personnel and consideration of compliance and health and safety concerns.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 115, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 115, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair