STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3105

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1228

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1228, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER LEADERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to provide a monetary bonus to each teacher that meets all of the requirements to add the "teacher leader" field to their existing standard or advanced teaching license.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and thirty-three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that approximately ten percent of teachers in Hawaii switch schools, relocate, or leave the profession each year, and that only fifty to sixty percent of current teachers have worked at their school for five years or more.  As a result of this chronic turnover, the Department of Education must rely on emergency hires and long term substitute teachers, which has a negative impact on the consistency and quality of the learning environment for the State's students.  Your Committee further finds that the "teacher leader" licensing field may be awarded to a teacher who fulfills a leadership role for at least four semesters within five years while meeting an additional qualification, such as completing a preparation program in teacher leadership or receiving a license, certificate, or endorsement from another state as a teacher leader.  Providing a monetary incentive for the teacher leader license program will encourage Hawaii's teachers to further develop valuable leadership skills and convey the benefits of those skills to students in the State's schools on a more continuous basis.  However, your Committee also finds that awarding a yearly bonus to teacher leaders may be beyond the resources of the Department.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the bonus amount from an unspecified amount to $5,000; and

     (2)  Clarifying that the teacher leader incentive is a one time monetary bonus.

     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. 1228, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1228, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair