Report Title:

Hawaii Educator Incentive Program

Description:

Creates a tuition reimbursement program for persons who complete state-approved teacher education programs in Hawaii and who teach in Hawaii public schools for at least six consecutive years.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

16

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to education.

 

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

SECTION 1. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), a national organization with nineteen partner states, including Hawaii, is focused on improving student learning by ensuring that there is a caring, competent, and qualified teacher in every classroom.

The legislature enacted Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, which was originally proposed by NCATF and established the Hawaii education loan program and special fund to provide financial support to students enrolled in a state-approved teacher education program at the University of Hawaii. If upon graduation the person is employed as a full-time teacher in Hawaii's public school system for a minimum number of years, the person would receive a tuition reimbursement.

The legislature finds that the shortage of teachers in Hawaii has reached a critical level and that the State must do all it can to resolve this situation. In addition to the teacher-education program at the University of Hawaii, there are numerous private universities and colleges in Hawaii that have state-approved teacher education programs which produce excellent teachers. The legislature finds that these graduates should be given the same incentives to teach in Hawaii's public school system as are currently available to University of Hawaii graduates.

The purpose of this Act is to create a financial assistance program for persons enrolled in state-approved teacher education programs at universities and colleges in Hawaii who then serve as teachers in the department of education following graduation.

SECTION 2. Chapter 304, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§304-   Hawaii educator incentive program. (a) There is created the Hawaii educator incentive program, to be administered by a designated federal credit union with existing services for teachers that is under contract with the department of education, to provide tuition reimbursement to persons who complete a state-approved teacher education program in the Hawaii public school system for a minimum of six consecutive years.

(b) Eligibility requirements and the amount to be provided to a person shall be determined by a state-approved teacher education institution, administered by a designated federal credit union with existing services for teachers, and based on proof of graduation from a state-approved teacher education program in Hawaii and employment as a full-time teacher in the department of education.

(c) The maximum amount that a person may receive under this program shall be an aggregate amount equivalent to tuition payments and costs of textbooks and other instructional materials necessary to complete a state-approved teacher education program in Hawaii and shall not exceed the amount such payments and costs would amount to at the University of Hawaii.

(d) All payments under this section shall commence one year after the person becomes employed as a full-time teacher within the department of education and shall be paid from the Hawaii educator incentive program special fund in periodic installments over a six-year period.

(e) Upon a showing of proof that the person has completed a state-approved teacher education program in Hawaii and is employed as a full-time teacher in the Hawaii public school system, one-tenth of the total tuition reimbursement and interest shall be paid to the person for every year of the first five years, and the remaining amount of the total tuition reimbursement shall be paid after the sixth year that a person teaches in a Hawaii public school in:

(1) A hard-to-fill position, as determined by the superintendent of education, including special education, regular education shortage categories, or title 1 schools; and

(2) One of the following capacities:

(A) As an elementary school teacher who is teaching in the field of elementary education and who has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii teacher standards boards; or

(B) As a secondary school teacher who is teaching in the subject area that is relevant to the person's academic major as certified by the department of education, and who has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii teacher standards board.

If a person subject to this section discontinues teaching in the Hawaii public school system at any time during the six-year tuition reimbursement period, excluding sabbatical and other forms of temporary leaves of absence, payments to the person shall cease at the end of the most recently completed school year.

§304-   Hawaii educator incentive program special fund. The Hawaii educator incentive program special fund is created in the State's treasury, into which shall be deposited:

(1) Appropriations by the legislature;

(2) Donations and contributions made by private individuals or organizations for deposit into the fund;

(3) Grants provided by governmental agencies or any other source; and

(4) Interest accrued or earned on moneys in the Hawaii educator incentive program special fund.

The fund shall be administered by a federal credit union designated by the department of education and used for the purpose of providing financial assistance to participants in the Hawaii educator incentive program pursuant to section 304-  ."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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