Report Title:

DOE; School Community Councils; Class Sizes; Student-to-Teacher Ratio; Appropriation

 

Description:

Clarifying selection of teacher representatives on school community councils.  Appropriates moneys to the department of education for reduction in kindergarten class size and to establish new teacher advisors/peer assistance mentors.  (SD1)


THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1143

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 302A-1124, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

     "(e)  Unless otherwise specified, each school community council shall establish policies governing the council's composition, election, staggered terms of office for members, operation, and vacancies; provided that:

     (1)  The number of school personnel [[]on[]] any school community council shall be equal to the number of primary stakeholders on the school community council;

     (2)  At the elementary and middle school levels, each school community council shall be composed of the principal and at least one member representing each of the following groups:

         (A)  Parents elected by ballots distributed among and collected from the parents of the school’s students;

         (B)  Teachers elected by ballots [distributed among and collected from teachers of the school;] through a process determined by the exclusive representative;

         (C)  Noncertificated school personnel elected by ballots distributed among and collected from noncertificated personnel of the school;

         (D)  Community representatives elected by ballots distributed among and collected from parents of the school's students; and

         (E)  Student representatives selected by the student council of the school; [and] provided that for any school for which no student council exists, the principal, in collaboration with the school community council, shall develop a process for the selection of a student representative; and

     (3)  At the high school level, each school community council shall be composed of the principal and at least one member representing each of the following groups:

         (A)  Parents elected by ballots distributed among and collected from parents of the school’s students;

         (B)  Teachers elected by ballots [distributed among and collected from teachers of the school;] through a process determined by the exclusive representative;

         (C)  Noncertificated school personnel elected by ballots distributed among and collected from noncertificated personnel of the school;

         (D)  Community representatives elected by ballots distributed among and collected from the parents of the school's students; and

         (E)  Student representatives selected by the student council of the school.

     For the purposes of this subsection, "primary stakeholders" means students, parents, and community members."

     SECTION 2.  Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, is amended by amending section 34 to read as follows:

     "SECTION 34.  Ultimately all education reform must be driven by the needs of students.  Students are the primary clients served by the public education system and they must be served well by providing them with access to the tools they need to succeed, a nurturing environment conducive to learning, and supplementary opportunities for growth that facilitate their development.

     The legislature finds that much of an individual's cognitive, emotional, and social development takes place in their earliest years of life.  To a significant extent, opportunities during this age set the parameters for an individual's development throughout the rest of the individual's life.  The legislature further finds that grade three is a pivotal year in preparation for the No Child Left Behind Act's assessment plans.  For this reason, children in the preceding grades should be provided with the instructional support needed to ensure superior performance in assessment instruments mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act.

     For these reasons, the Legislature finds that a class size of not more than twenty-five students per teacher [to be advisable] is necessary in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two classrooms.

     The purpose of this part is to appropriate funding to:

     (1)  Provide mathematics textbooks and other mathematics learning materials;

     (2)  Reduce class size in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two;

     (3)  Provide for full-time, year-round, high school student activity coordinators; and

     (4)  Programs that support parents in working with students who need additional help to succeed in school provided the programs have measurable outcomes."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to reduce kindergarten class size to establish an eighteen-to-one student to teacher ratio and to reduce junior kindergarten class size to establish a ten-to-one student to teacher ratio.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for establishing new teacher advisors/peer assistance mentors with the target of achieving a ratio of fifteen new teachers to one new teacher advisor/peer assistance mentor within each school complex area.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.