STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3362

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 142

S.D. 1

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.C.R. No. 142 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF TEACHER SALARY STEP MOVEMENTS ON SALARY SCHEDULE COMPRESSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to study the impact of teacher salary step movements on salary schedule compression.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Education Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the salary schedule for Hawaii public school teachers includes steps, or annual increments, that are commensurate with years of service. Teacher salary step movements determine the career progression of educators and their compensation within the Hawaii public school system. However, teachers have not received regular step movements, resulting in some highly experienced teachers with decades of experience earning no more than a teacher with significantly fewer years of experience. Additionally, salary schedule compression has been identified as one factor affecting recruitment, retention, and morale of highly qualified educators in the State. Accordingly, this measure urges the Department of Education to study the impact of teacher salary step movements to ensure informed policy decisions and fair, competitive compensation for teachers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding the Director of Human Resources Development to the list of recipients of certified copies; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 142, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 142, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair