STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2377

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2257

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2257, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to consider qualified individuals with at least an associate's degree or high school diploma with comparable education and coursework, industry experience, and content expertise to teach career and technical education courses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board, Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that career and technical education provides students with hands-on learning experiences to prepare them for future academic and professional careers. Many career and technical education courses are taught by industry professionals who have decades of experience, providing immersive, knowledgeable training to students. While there is increasing popularity of career and technical education pathways, certain education requirements for instructors may prohibit qualified individuals from applying to become instructors. Therefore, this measure offers more pathways for experienced, highly qualified industry professionals to become instructors in support of varied, enriching opportunities for students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 2257, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2257, S.D. 2, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair