STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1025

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 806

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 806, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the stability and professionalism of teachers in the State by:

     (1)  Allowing teachers and educational officers who are members of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) and retire during a term to serve the remainder of their term up to three consecutive three-year terms;

     (2)  Authorizing career and technical education licenses to allow qualified individuals to teach when recommended by the Superintendent of Education without a bachelor's degree;

     (3)  Extending the term of a renewable advanced license from five to ten years; and

     (4)  Requiring a teacher to attend training prior to applying for license renewal on new student and teacher performance standards if those standards are adopted more than three years prior to a teacher's license renewal date.

     HTSB supported this bill with amendments.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Education provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing language permitting HTSB to develop criteria for the issuance of Career and Technical Education licenses and instead permitting HTSB to develop criteria for a full Career and Technical Education license for individuals with specified qualifications;

     (2)  Granting HTSB the power to:

          (A)  Forfeit, restore, and condition licenses; and

          (B)  Establish policies and procedures to approve alternative pathways to teaching;

     (3)  Removing the requirement that teachers attend training on new student and teacher performance standards as a condition for license renewal;

     (4)  Requiring that teachers pay license fees in a timely manner as a condition of license renewal;

     (5)  Requiring teacher education programs approved by HTSB to have attained appropriate national accreditation; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 806, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 806, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair