Report Title:

Education; Department of Education; Employment; Retired Teachers

Description:

Allows the DOE to employ retired teachers full time to teach in teacher shortage areas and serve as mentors for new classroom teachers.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1862

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to education.

 

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

SECTION 1. Research indicates that teacher quality is one of the most influential factors in student achievement. Standards-based reform has a greater chance of success when teacher quality is addressed. In an effort to provide quality education for its students, the department of education continues to recruit highly qualified teachers from within the State of Hawaii and on the continental United States. As more "baby-boom" teachers in Hawaii and across the nation retire, the task of recruiting highly qualified teachers is becoming more challenging each year. Consequently, finding sufficient numbers of highly qualified teachers for shortage areas is becoming more difficult, and teacher shortages are expected to grow as more "baby-boom" teachers retire through the remainder of the decade.

SECTION 2. Beginning July 1, 2006, the department of education may employ retired teachers from the Hawaii department of education up to one hundred per cent full-time equivalency to teach in teacher shortage areas identified by the department of education and to serve as mentors for new classroom teachers, with the prior approval of the superintendent of education and pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. The provisions of sections 88-21, 88-42.5, 88-43, 88-45, and 88-46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and any other statute to the contrary notwithstanding, retired teachers from the Hawaii department of education who are hired under this section shall not earn retirement service credit, contribute to the retirement system, or gain additional retirement system benefits as a result of their employment; provided that the retired teachers shall continue to receive entitled normal retirement benefits without penalty. To qualify for full-time employment, the retired teacher shall be retired for at least one calendar year prior to reemployment. A retired teacher may qualify for mentoring of new teachers immediately upon retirement.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006, and shall be repealed on July 1, 2011.

INTRODUCED BY:

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