Report Title:

Teacher Licensing; Reciprocity; Out-of-State Teacher Licensure

 

Description:

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to pursue full teacher license reciprocity with all other states; authorizes the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to issue licenses to out-of-state teacher licensure, based on certain criteria; provided that upon the adoption of administrative rules to accomplish that purpose the rules shall supersede the statutory requirement.  (SD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

25

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to teacher licensing.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii's public schools would be well served if there were an abundance of highly qualified teachers from which public school principals could select.

     SECTION 2.  Section 302A-802, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

     "(c)  The board shall adopt policies, exempt from chapters 91 and 92, to initiate the following:

     (1)  Develop criteria allowing more individuals with trade or industry experience to teach in vocational, technical, and career pathway programs, and criteria for the issuance of permits allowing qualified individuals to teach when recommended by the superintendent.  The department shall be responsible for the review and acceptance of the relevant licenses, certificates, or other qualifications related to an individual's vocational, technical, or career pathway education-related experience that the department deems necessary for a permit.  The department shall have the authority to waive the requirement of a bachelor's degree to teach in a vocation, technical, or career pathway education program;

     (2)  Develop a plan to accept teachers from any state as long as they have completed state-approved teacher education programs and pass relevant Hawaii teacher examinations or their equivalent;

     (3)  Clarify the requirements, on a state-by-state basis, for out-of-state licensed teachers to obtain a license in Hawaii;

     (4)  Develop a plan to facilitate licensing for those who intend to teach in Hawaii immersion programs, the island of Niihau, or any other extraordinary situation as defined by the superintendent or the superintendent's designee; [and]

     (5)  Pursue full teacher license reciprocity with [the mid‑Atlantic states, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington.] all other states; and

     (6)  Issue a license to a teacher with a valid out-of-state license who has passed similar, though not identical, tests in basic skills, pedagogy, and subject matter to those required for licensure in the State; provided that upon the effective date of the adoption of administrative rules addressing the recognition of out-of-state teacher licenses, those administrative rules shall supersede the requirements of this paragraph."

     SECTION 3.  The Hawaii teacher standards board shall provide notification to the chairs of the senate committee on education and the house of representatives committee on education upon the adoption of the administrative rules relating to the issuance of licenses to teachers with valid out-of-state licenses who have passed similar, though not identical, tests in basic skills, pedagogy, and subject matter to those required for licensure in the State.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.