THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2007

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Norman Sakamoto, Chair

Senator Jill N. Tokuda, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF HEARING

DATE:	Wednesday, January 31, 2007
TIME:	1:15 PM
PLACE:	Conference Room 225 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

A G E N D A

SB 100	RELATING TO EDUCATION. Authorizes the Hawaii teacher standards board to suspend its rules, in cases where extenuating circumstances exist, and to amend licensing-related fees and charges relating to the performance of the board's duties.	EDU
SB 1147	RELATING TO TEACHING LICENSURE. Establishes a committee to review teaching licensure standards to ensure effective teachers from outside the State receive a Hawaii teaching license.	EDU
SB 605	RELATING TO TEACHER LICENSING. Authorizes the issuance of a Hawaii teacher's license based on the possession of an active license from California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Washington, and from any state whose licensure standards are the same or higher than those of Hawaii.	EDU
SB 27	RELATING TO EDUCATION. Allows the Department of Education to hire individuals with professional experience and university degrees as exceptional teachers and to authorize alternative licensing routes based on performance-based standards and giving credit toward licensing for prior teaching experience in public schools outside of Hawaii and at accredited private schools, colleges, or universities.	EDU
SB 650	RELATING TO EDUCATION. Requires the department of education to allow teachers to receive credit for any degree or coursework completed, regardless of the relevance of the degree or coursework to teaching.	EDU
SB 1130	RELATING TO EARLY EDUCATION. Prohibits the moving of junior kindergarten and kindergarten students between tiers; prohibits a junior kindergartener from directly graduating to first grade; ensures that separate curriculum is established for the junior kindergarten program; requires the department of education to staff junior kindergartens with qualified preschool teachers and preschool teacher aides; requires the Hawaii teacher standards board to develop standards for teachers and teacher aides assigned to junior kindergarten classrooms; and appropriates funds for the implementation of a junior kindergarten program that achieves a ten to one student ratio.	EDU, WAM
SB 686	RELATING TO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS. Appropriates moneys to the department of education for an educational assistants' career ladder program.	EDU, WAM
SB 1179	RELATING TO SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. Appropriates funds to non-school hour programs for youth enrolled in school.	EDU, WAM
SB 766	RELATING TO EDUCATION. Allows certain teacher loans to be forgiven after employment at a neighbor island public school for a specified number of years as determined by the department.  Appropriates funds.	EDU, WAM
SB 1152	RELATING TO EDUCATION. Provides for smaller learning communities in public schools. Prohibits the selling of school lands and buildings without consideration of using the land and buildings for small learning communities. Requires the department of education to give priority to establishing early learning facilities over closing or consolidating school facilities	EDU, WAM
SB 1155	MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR EDUCATION. Appropriates funds to address educational needs, specifically teacher shortage.	EDU, WAM

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

Persons wishing to testify should submit 35 copies of their testimony to the committee clerk, Room 230, State Capitol, 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony may also be faxed if less than 5 pages in length, to the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659 (toll free for neighbor islands), at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  When faxing, please indicate to whom the testimony is being submitted, the date and time of the hearing, and the required number of copies needed for submittal.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language interpreter, wheelchair accessibility, or parking designated for the disabled) please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

Public Folder.  A folder labeled “Public Folder” containing the measures and testimonies for the hearing will be available for shared use by members of the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6843

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Senator Norman Sakamoto

Chair