HB1014 SD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1014
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to education.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that professional development for existing teachers, new teachers, and teachers new to Hawaii is a key component in creating a highly qualified and highly effective teaching pool in Hawaii. Teacher advancement and effectiveness is also related to teacher satisfaction and retention factors.

The legislature further finds that the professional support for teachers goes beyond individual enrollment in training and courses. To be truly effective, teachers within schools and within a school complex area need to be addressed as teams, with coordination and alignment of curricula key elements of training.

The legislature further finds that partly as a result of the accountability movement and the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind law, school complex areas and district offices have often focused more on compliance rather than support services. Complex areas need greater resources that support professional development in order to create more successful teaching throughout the complex area.

The legislature further finds that a complete support system for teaching includes greater personnel and funding for professional development programs coordinated at the complex area level, mentoring for new teachers at the schools, and earmarking of funds for teacher professional development in key areas of the curriculum, namely visual and performing arts, physical education, and virtual education, that need greater emphases.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Create greater emphasis and funding for teacher professional development within the department of education coordinated at the complex area level;

(2) Emphasize the importance of professional development in the areas of visual and performing arts education, physical education, and virtual education; and

(3) Provide funding for the induction teacher mentoring program.

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 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for each complex area to establish the capacity to coordinate and expand complex-level resources for professional development, alignment of curriculum, and mentoring in schools; provided that funds appropriated in this section shall be allocated to each complex area based on the per pupil enrollments in each complex area; provided further that a portion of the funds allocated to individual schools by complex areas shall be for professional development and support of curriculum in visual and performing arts education, physical education, and virtual learning materials and programs.

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

SECTION 3. 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 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for induction teacher mentoring for new teachers and teachers who are new to Hawaii, with a goal towards a fifteen-to-one teacher to mentor ratio in high turnover schools. Induction mentors, not new teachers, shall be recognized as educators who have demonstrated exemplary performance, have the opportunity to be induction teachers, have their participation be flexible, and have full return rights to their previous teaching positions.

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

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.