STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1492

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1349

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1349, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to align the probationary period for licensed charter school teachers who are not tenured in the Department of Education with the probationary period for other licensed, not tenured, teachers in the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.  The State Public Charter School Commission submitted written comments on the measure.

 

Your Committee finds that current law provides a shorter probationary period for licensed charter school teachers compared to the probationary period for Department of Education teachers.  Specifically, licensed charter school teachers who enter into or return to employment with the Department of Education receive tenure after working one full school year on probation at a charter school and two semesters on probation in the Department of Education, while the Department of Education's probationary period for teachers is a minimum of three years.  Your Committee believes holding charter school teachers to the same tenure requirements as teachers in Department of Education schools promotes fairness and equality.

 

     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. 1349, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair