Report Title:

Retired Teachers; Rehiring; DOE

 

Description:

Allows DOE to rehire retired teachers in areas of Hawaii where there is a teacher shortage. (HB1668 CD1)

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1668

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1
 

C.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO REHIRING RETIRED TEACHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

 

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

SECTION 1. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, a national organization with nineteen partner states, including Hawaii, seeks to improve student learning by ensuring that there is a caring, competent, and qualified teacher in every classroom.

Over the past year, with the lieutenant governor as its chairperson, the Hawaii Policy Group of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, comprised of a representative group of educational stakeholders, has collaborated on research-based recommendations to improve teaching in Hawaii. The recommendations encompass five key areas:

(1) Establishing and implementing standards for students and teachers;

(2) Providing for teacher preparation and professional development;

(3) Strengthening teacher recruitment and placing qualified teachers in all classrooms;

(4) Encouraging and rewarding teaching knowledge and skill; and

(5) Creating schools that are organized for student and teacher success.

One thing was clear: aside from home and societal factors, teacher quality is, without a question, the most influential factor in student achievement. Standards-based reform has a greater chance of success when teacher quality is addressed and given our highest priority. Teachers must be equipped with the resources and skills necessary to ensure that all students attain their full potential.

In its efforts to provide quality education for all students, the department of education continues to seek solutions to address its recruitment needs in maintaining a teacher applicant pool capable of addressing continuing teacher shortages in all academic areas. The shortage of applicants for teaching is projected to exist for at least another ten years.

SECTION 2. Beginning July 1, 2001, the department of education may employ retired teachers at up to one hundred per cent full-time equivalents 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 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 teacher shall be retired for two calendar years. A retired teacher may qualify for mentoring immediately upon retirement.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001, and shall be repealed on July 1, 2005.