Report Title:

Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program

Description:

Includes teacher educators in the University of Hawaii system under the teacher national board certification incentive program. Defines "teacher educator" and appropriates funds. (SD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1078

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there is a need to increase the pool of qualified public school teachers in the state. With this in mind, the 2004 legislature established the teacher national board certification incentive program (incentive program) to support and recognize public school teachers who have made the tremendous commitment of time and taken risks necessary to undergo the national board certification process.

In addition to public school teachers, teacher educators who teach at the University of Hawaii (UH) also play an integral role in fulfilling the need for qualified teachers. Teacher educators are those whose duties are primarily teaching, instructing, or performing related activities centered primarily on students working toward a degree in education, and who are in close and continuous contact with these students. The development of teacher educators contributes directly to the cultivation of future teachers for the state.

The state will benefit from extending the incentive program to teacher educators in the UH system in the following ways:

(1) Teacher educators will be encouraged to seek national board certification;

(2) Teacher educators who receive national board certification will be better able to develop programs for the preparation and professional development (e.g. preparation for national board certification) of their students, the teachers of the future;

(3) Students of teacher educators with national board certification will be taught by people who have the classroom experience and education required of a national board certificate holder;

(4) UH will be better able to recruit quality teacher educators; and

(5) Retention of teacher educators in the UH system will be enhanced, just as retention has been enhanced for public school teachers to whom the incentive program has been offered.

The purpose of this Act is to include teacher educators in the UH system under the teacher national board certification incentive program.

SECTION 2. Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, is amended by amending section 38 to read as follows:

"SECTION 38. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Teacher national board certification incentive program. (a) There is established within the department the teacher national board certification incentive program to recognize and support exemplary teaching practice by supporting public school teachers and teacher educators in the University of Hawaii system who have achieved national board certification under the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The teacher national board certification incentive program shall provide:

(1) A $5,000 bonus per year for each public school teacher and teacher educator in the University of Hawaii system who maintains current national board certification;

(2) $1,500 upon completing the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; and

(3) A reimbursement of the remainder of the national board certification application fee upon achievement of national board certification.

(b) The incentive program shall include a mentoring component that encourages and enables national board-certified teachers to assist other teachers and share their teaching expertise.

For the purposes of this section:

"Teacher educator" means a person in the University of Hawaii system whose duties are primarily teaching, instructing, or performing related activities centered primarily on students working toward a license to teach in the state of Hawaii."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, for the teacher national board certification incentive program for teacher educators at the University of Hawaii.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on June 30, 2005; provided that section 3 shall be take effect on July 1, 2005.