STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3123

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2256

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2256, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER RECRUITMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to provide incentives to enhance recruitment and retention of public school and public charter school teachers.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, HE‘E Coalition, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Early Learning Board, and Early Childhood Action Strategy.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning.

Your Committee finds that authorizing incentives is an appropriate way of enhancing teacher recruitment and retention.

Your Committee further finds that as the current authorizer of all public charter schools, the State Public Charter School Commission is the most appropriate entity to provide incentives for public charter school teachers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making the funding for teacher incentives dependent upon the availability of existing Department of Education funds;

(2) Authorizing the Department of Education to provide incentives to early childhood education teachers;

(3) Authorizing the State Public Charter School Commission to provide incentives to public charter school teachers and authorizing the Commission to adopt rules for this purpose; and

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2256, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2256, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair