STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1358-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2331

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2331, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the operations of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board by, among other things:

     (1)  Clarifying that public-school employers are not authorized to refuse or revoke a teaching license;

     (2)  Amending the membership, qualification, and appointment requirements for the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board;

     (3)  Clarifying the respective powers and duties of the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and individual charter schools with respect to teacher hiring and licensure and with respect to the functions of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board; and

     (4)  Making various housekeeping and conforming amendments, including the repeal of obsolete provisions.

The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board supported the bill.  The Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Educational Policy Center, and Hawaii State Teachers Association provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to upon its approval.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2331, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2331, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair