HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

211

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THAT THE TENURE PROVISIONS OF THE HAWAII STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION contract with the state BE AMENDED to decrease the high turnover rate of teachers IN RURAL AREA SCHOOLS, and prevent THOSE SCHOOLS FROM BEING disproportionateLY staffED with INEXPERIENCED, UNTENURED teachers.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, for the past 35 years, the Hawaii State Teachers Association's (HSTA) contract with the State has allowed tenured teachers priority in applying for teaching vacancies; and

 

     WHEREAS, this provision seems to have resulted in:

 

     (1)  A high teacher turnover rate in rural area schools, because tenured teachers are likely to move to schools in more centralized areas; and

 

     (2)  Rural area schools having a disproportionate number of inexperienced, untenured teachers;

 

and

 

     WHEREAS, the high turnover rate and disproportionate staffing in rural area schools ultimately result in:

 

     (1)  A lack of continuity in both student learning and teacher experience in the classroom because probationary teachers must take leave to attend required training sessions during the school year;

 

     (2)  Student populations that may be unable to reach their highest academic potential and are not ready for higher learning because they have not been prepared adequately in the lower grades; and

     (3)  A now difficult job for the teachers who must provide remedial instruction to these students in higher grades;

 

and

 

     WHEREAS, change is needed within Hawaii's public school system to raise the level of student achievement and success, and one such change should be the availability of highly qualified teachers for all students throughout the state; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature urges that amendments be made to the tenure provisions of the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract with the State to decrease the high turnover rate of teachers in rural area schools, and prevent these schools from being disproportionately staffed with inexperienced, untenured teachers; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these amendments include the following:

 

     (1)  A two-year suspension of all transfer requests by tenured teachers to fill school vacancies;

 

     (2)  The initial filling of all position vacancies, wherever they occur, with a probationary teacher; provided that at the end of the teacher's probationary period and prior to being awarded tenure, the teacher must vacate the position which must then be filled by a tenured teacher; and

 

     (3)  The offer of the position vacated by the tenured teacher to the probationary teacher; provided that upon acceptance of the vacant position, the probationary teacher receives tenure;

 

and


     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in addition to making amendments to the tenure provisions, the Department of Education and HSTA are requested to explore and implement monetary and other incentives, including:

 

     (1)  Granting teachers in all the schools listed as "geographic hard-to-fill and hard-to-staff", according to Appendix XVI of the 2005-2007 memorandum of understanding between HSTA and the State, the $3,000 annual salary supplements currently being provided to teachers in some of the schools; and

 

     (2)  Providing or developing a variety of affordable housing opportunities for teachers who serve in geographic hard-to-fill and hard-to-staff schools;

 

and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and President of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Rural Area Schools; Teacher Turnover; Tenured Teachers