STAND. COM. REP. 3248

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2645

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2645, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the number of qualified substitute teachers available to be hired by the Department of Education.

Specifically, the bill establishes a ten-year exemption from prerequisite substitute course work for any retired public school teacher who holds a valid teaching license. Under current law, all new substitute teacher applicants must complete a thirty-hour substitute teacher course that includes material relating to Department of Education rules, policies, and current educational trends for all grades. The bill provides that retired, licensed public school teachers are exempt from any prerequisite course work required of other substitute teachers for ten years from the date of their retirement.

Your Committee finds that recently retired teachers can be a valuable resource as much-needed substitute teachers because they already have the qualifications and practical experience necessary to teach. Thus, further coursework should not be required. This bill will encourage retired Department of Education teachers to return to public schools as substitute teachers and will improve the chronic shortage of qualified substitute teachers available to the Department of Education.

Prior to issuing licenses to teachers, teachers held a valid teaching certificate only. Furthermore, a teaching license is currently valid for five years. Accordingly, your Committee amended this measure to clarify that the ten-year prerequisite waiver applies to retired public school teachers who held a valid teaching certificate or license at the date of their retirement.

Your Committee also made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2645, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2645, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair