Report Title:

Hawaii Educator Incentive Program

Description:

Creates a tuition reimbursement program for persons who graduated from a state-approved teacher education programs in Hawaii and who teach in Hawaii public schools for at least 6 consecutive years. (SB16 HD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

16

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1


 

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, 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 the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 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 that 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 who complete a state-approved teacher education program in Hawaii and serve as teachers in the department of education.

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 individuals who graduate from a state-approved teacher education program and who are employed as teachers in the Hawaii public school system for a minimum of six consecutive years.

(b) Eligibility requirements and the amount of the tuition reimbursement to be provided to an individual who participates in the program 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 tuition reimbursement amount that an individual may receive under this program shall be an aggregate amount equivalent to tuition payments and costs of textbooks and other instructional materials necessary to graduate from a state-approved teacher education program in Hawaii and shall not exceed the amount of the payments and costs to graduate from a teacher education program at the University of Hawaii.

(d) All payments under this section shall commence one year after an individual participating in the program 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 an individual participating in the program has graduated from 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 individual for every year of the first five years, and the remaining amount of the total tuition reimbursement and interest shall be paid after the sixth year that the individual 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 I 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 board; or

(B) As a secondary school teacher who is teaching in a 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 an individual 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 individual shall cease at the end of the most recently completed school year.

§304-   Hawaii educator incentive program special fund. There is established in the treasury of the State, the Hawaii educator incentive program special fund, 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.