SSCR2469

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2469

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 524, 525, 526

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 524, 525, and 526, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

Hawaii Teacher Standards Board

G.M. No. 524

EDWARD PATRICK,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015;

G.M. No. 525

JUSTIN MEW,

for a term to expire 6-30-2013; and

G.M. No. 526

TERRY HOLCK,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Edward Patrick, Justin Mew, and Terry Holck to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the renomination of Edward Patrick from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that Mr. Patrick graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Leo College with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration Management. Mr. Patrick received a Master's degree in Public Administration from Troy State University. Mr. Patrick went on to receive a Master's degree in Strategic Studies from Air University.

Mr. Patrick is a retired military officer. Over the past twelve years, Mr. Patrick has held a number of executive positions within the United States Air Force, United States European Command, United States Transportation Command, United States Pacific Command, Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Pentagon. Mr. Patrick currently serves as the Deputy Director of Human Resources for the United States Army Pacific Command.

Mr. Patrick also has experience serving as a member of a parochial school board and has served in numerous positions within the Department of Defense Dependents' School System, including the European Schools Council, Pacific Theater Education Council, and Federal Advisory Council for Dependent Education. Since moving to Hawaii, Mr. Patrick has served as the co-chair, along with the Superintendent of Education, of the Joint Venture Education Forum. He has also served as the non-voting military representative on the Board of Education.

Mr. Patrick currently serves as a member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and serves on the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board's Budget, Personnel, and Strategic Committee, as well as the Teacher Education Committee.

Mr. Patrick stressed to your Committee that teacher licensing is the foundation upon which Hawaii can ensure that only well-trained teachers are teaching in Hawaii's public schools.

Mr. Patrick expressed to your Committee that his short-term goal as a member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board is to educate the public and the educational community about the mission and function of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. Mr. Patrick views the role and responsibility of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to set high teacher licensing standards to provide highly qualified teachers, promote professionalism, build confidence in the teaching profession, and provide more accountability.

Mr. Patrick's long-term goals are to see the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board be more responsive to teachers, make the licensing process more user-friendly, and make the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board self-sufficient. Mr. Patrick also noted that the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board must be cognizant of new and innovative ways of teaching to support and sustain highly qualified teachers in the State.

With his many years of working within the educational arena, your Committee believes that Mr. Patrick will continue to provide a unique perspective as a member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Justin Mew from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board; Hawaii Government Employees Association, HGEA/AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that Mr. Mew received his Bachelor's degree in Education, and Master's degrees in Secondary Education and Educational Administration from the University of Hawaii.

Mr. Mew is currently the Principal of Niu Valley Middle School. He previously served as the Principal of Aina Haina Elementary School, Vice Principal of Moanalua Intermediate School, Vice Principal of Aiea Intermediate School, and as a State Science Education Specialist.

Mr. Mew has received numerous awards and accolades and was named the Hawaii State Middle School Principal of the Year in 2011.

Mr. Mew provides the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board with the perspective of a sitting principal and a trained/certified teacher intake interviewer for the Department of Education. These roles have given Mr. Mew the experience of evaluating teachers for hiring and continued employment.

Mr. Mew stressed to your Committee the importance of having highly qualified and highly effective teachers in the classroom in order to support maximum student learning and growth. It is Mr. Mew's belief that there is a direct correlation between teacher quality and student achievement. As such, Mr. Mew sees the responsibilities of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to include establishing strong licensure standards and polices, participating in efforts relating to teacher quality, and establishing penalties for teacher misconduct, including license revocation.

Your Committee believes that Mr. Mew will bring valuable experience, knowledge, and leadership to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Terry Holck from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that Ms. Holck received a Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has served as a teacher in various Department of Education public schools as well as at Voyager Charter School. Ms. Holck has also served as an educational trainer and a mentor for teacher candidates.

Ms. Holck testified that she first became interested in serving on the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board because she was concerned about the lack of response she and fellow teachers experienced when trying to get information from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. Since joining the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board in July 2008, Ms. Holck reported to your Committee that the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board has improved its customer service, responding to teachers within two days of an inquiry.

Ms. Holck currently serves as the Chairperson of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. She has also served on the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board's Teacher Standards Committee, Legislative Committee, and License Renewal Committee.

Ms. Holck's long-term goal as a member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board is to streamline the licensing processes, including the way data and information is shared between teacher preparation programs, the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, and employers, to make the entire system more user friendly.

Your Committee finds that Ms. Holck's leadership qualities and commitment to education continue to make her an asset to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

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

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair