HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2696

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to teacher compensation.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the retention of qualified teachers is essential to the success of Hawaii's public education system.  The legislature further finds that research indicates that competitive and equitable compensation correlates with greater success in retaining qualified educators.  Yet, numerous studies have shown that Hawaii's teacher salaries are the lowest in the nation when adjusted for the State's high cost of living, which contributes to the State's chronic teacher shortage.  Low teacher salaries deter excellent teachers from remaining within demanding teaching fields.  For the 2018-2019 school year, the department of education experienced a qualified teacher shortage of one thousand twenty-nine positions.  For the 2019-2020 school year, the department of education experienced a qualified teacher shortage of nine hundred seventy-three positions.

     The legislature further finds that there exists inequity and pay compression in teacher salaries wherein experienced senior teachers are aligned with less senior teachers in their placement within the existing teacher salary schedules.  This pay inequity impacts teacher recruiting and retention, thus contributing to the chronic teacher shortage.  These inequity and compression issues affect approximately seven thousand teachers whose current base salary does not reflect the value of their experience accrued through years of professional, contributable service to the State of Hawaii.

     Finally, the legislature finds that an increasing number of school districts around the country are utilizing additional compensation methods and strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to fund an experimental modernization project pursuant to section 78-3.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to address the pay compression issues amongst teachers in the State.

     SECTION 2.  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 2020-2021 to fund an experimental modernization project pursuant to section 78-3.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes; provided that the experimental modernization project shall provide for an automatic annual increase in teacher salaries.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Department of Education; Teacher Compensation; Experimental Modernization Project; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to DOE for an experimental modernization project to address pay compression issues amongst teachers.

 

 

 

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