STAND. COM. REP. NO 2970

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2597

       H.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2597, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Authorize, under the teacher national board certification incentive program, an additional per year bonus for teachers who maintain national current board certification and teach at a school in a focus, priority, or Superintendent's zone, or other similar designation; and

     (2)  Make housekeeping amendments to the teacher national board certification incentive program.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will help ensure that students in all schools are taught by highly motivated, highly qualified teachers and aligns the law with the Department of Education's current method of evaluating school performance.

     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 H.B. No. 2597, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair