STAND. COM. REP. NO.  500

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2019

 

RE:   H.B. No. 650

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 650 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER RETENTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve teacher retention and recruitment in public schools by:

 

     (1)  Creating an advisory board on teacher retention within the Department of Education to bring together policymakers, administrators, teachers, and higher education officials to study and make recommendations to increase teacher retention and recruitment in the State;

 

     (2)  Requiring the advisory board on teacher retention to design a teacher mentorship pilot program that will pair new teachers and prospective student teachers working toward an education degree with experienced mentor teachers at Department of Education schools; and

 

     (3)  Requiring the Department of Education to:

 

          (A)  Conduct detailed exit surveys with teachers who voluntarily leave the employ of the Department of Education; and

          (B)  Compile and analyze the data in the exit surveys and report its findings annually to the Legislature.

 

     The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii supported this measure.  The University of Hawaii College of Education and Department of Education opposed this measure.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association offered comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the official name of the Department of Education's Office of Human Resources is the Office of Talent Management; and

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 650, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 650, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair