HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

650

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO TEACHER RETENTION.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a growing shortage of qualified teachers in Hawaii's public school system, with an estimated shortage of four hundred forty-nine positions during the 2016-2017 school year.  As the State's chronic, ongoing shortage continues, the legislature also finds that fewer people are entering the teaching profession in the State.  Testimony from a recent board of education human resources committee meeting indicated that the number of graduates joining the department of education decreased by nearly thirty per cent between the 2010-2011 and 2016-2017 school years.

     In addition, the State has also experienced significant difficulties retaining the teachers it already has employed.  The department of education's employment reports show that four hundred eleven teachers resigned and left the State from 2016-2017, an increase from the two hundred twenty-three teachers who left the State in 2010.

     The State's teacher retention struggle and the conditions creating it have frequently made headlines.  Most recently, a September 2018 report by WalletHub described Hawaii as the least teacher-friendly state in the United States.  The report gave low scores to Hawaii for its relatively low pay in light of the State's cost of living.  The State also received low scores for non-monetary benchmarks as well, including a perceived lack of support for teachers from administrators.

     In light of the State's continued challenges in retaining teachers and the related media coverage, the legislature concludes that it is necessary to research and support a variety of innovative programs to improve teacher retention.

     The purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Create 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)  Require 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)  Require 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.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new subpart to part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"   .  Advisory Board on Teacher Retention

     §302A-A  Advisory board on teacher retention.  (a)  There is established within the department for administrative purposes the advisory board on teacher retention to study and make recommendations to policymakers regarding teacher retention, attrition, and recruitment in the State.  The advisory board on teacher retention shall study and make recommendations on the following subjects:

     (1)  Employment compensation, including salaries and other benefits;

     (2)  Cost of living;

     (3)  Recruitment of future teachers;

     (4)  Working conditions of teachers, including physical working conditions, learning and teaching environment, and issues relating to student behavior;

     (5)  Professional development opportunities;

     (6)  Adequate and equitable resources and support for teachers;

     (7)  Safety and respect in schools;

     (8)  Parental and community involvement in schools; and

     (9)  Any other subjects the advisory board considers relevant.

     (b)  The advisory board on teacher retention shall consist of:

     (1)  The superintendent or the superintendent's designee, who shall serve as chairperson;

     (2)  One member to be appointed by the governor;

     (3)  The chairperson of the committee with jurisdiction over education in the house of representatives;

     (4)  The chairperson of the committee with jurisdiction over education in the senate;

     (5)  The chairperson of the committee with jurisdiction over higher education in the house of representatives;

     (6)  The chairperson of the committee with jurisdiction over higher education in the senate;

     (7)  The dean of the college of education of the University of Hawaii at Manoa or the dean's designee;

     (8)  Three classroom teachers to be appointed by the board of education, including:

          (A)  One elementary school teacher;

          (B)  One middle or intermediate school teacher; and

          (C)  One high school teacher;

     (9)  One principal to be appointed by the board of education; and

    (10)  The chairperson of the Hawaii teacher standards board, or the chairperson's designee.

     (c)  In addition to the members in subsection (b), the superintendent may invite one or more members to serve on the advisory board from other public or private universities or colleges that offer degree programs in teacher education.

     (d)  Members of the advisory board on teacher retention shall serve without compensation.

     (e)  The advisory board on teacher retention shall meet at least four times a year.

     §302A-B  Advisory board on teacher retention; report.  The advisory board on teacher retention shall compile an annual report making recommendations to policymakers to improve the retention and recruitment of qualified teachers in the State's public schools, including the specific areas listed in section 302A-A.  The report shall include:

     (1)  A plan to close the gap between known teacher employment vacancies in the State;

     (2)  Short-term and five-year strategies with accompanying fiscal notes and outcome measures;

     (3)  Status updates on the department's actions to implement the strategies identified in paragraph (2); and

     (4)  Any other findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation.

The report required by this section shall be submitted to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session."

     SECTION 3.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-    Teacher retention; exit interviews.  (a)  Beginning no later than the start of the 2019-2020 school year, the department shall conduct an exit interview that meets the requirements of this section with any teacher who voluntarily leaves the employ of the department.

     (b)  Each exit interview shall ascertain the specific reasons for the teacher's decision to voluntarily leave the employ of the department, including concerns relating to:

     (1)  Employment compensation, including salaries and other benefits;

     (2)  Cost of living;

     (3)  Working conditions, including physical working conditions, learning and teaching environment, and student behavior;

     (4)  Professional development opportunities;

     (5)  Adequate or equitable resources and support for teachers;

     (6)  Support from peers or school, complex, or department administrators;

     (7)  Safety and respect in schools;

     (8)  Parental and community involvement in schools; and

     (9)  Any other factors the department or a teacher leaving the employ of the department considers relevant.

     (c)  For the purpose of uniform data collection, the exit interviews required by this section shall be administered directly by the department's office of talent management.

     (d)  The department shall collect, maintain, and report on the results of each exit interview in a manner that ensures the confidentiality of each teacher's name and other personally identifying information.

     (e)  The department shall compile and analyze the data collected through the exit surveys required by this section and shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session."

     SECTION 4.  (a)  The advisory board on teacher retention shall develop the framework for a teacher mentorship pilot program to be administered by the department of education.  The pilot program shall help student teachers and newly hired teachers effectively transition into the teaching field, increase teacher recruitment, encourage teacher retention, and increase student success in the State.

     (b)  Subject to the approval of the University of Hawaii, the pilot program shall pair prospective student teachers working toward an education degree at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with experienced mentor teachers who teach at department of education schools in a county with a population of more than 500,000 during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 academic years.  The department of education shall administer the teacher mentorship pilot program using the framework developed by the advisory board on teacher retention.

     (c)  The framework of the program shall include:

     (1)  Individual support and assistance for student teachers and mentee teachers;

     (2)  Structured training for mentors;

     (3)  An ongoing, formative evaluation to be used for the improvement of teaching practice; and

     (4)  Regular review and evaluation of the program.

     (d)  To the extent possible, the program shall ensure that a mentee has the opportunity to remain with the same mentor throughout the time the mentee is a student teacher or a mentee teacher.

     (e)  The advisory board on teacher retention shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, regarding the results of the teacher mentorship pilot program and whether the program should be expanded statewide, with or without modifications, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2023.

     (f)  As used in this section:

     "Mentee teacher" means a teacher who has been employed by the department for no more than three years.

     "Student teacher" means a person who is participating in a university or college undergraduate or graduate education program in which the person teaches under the supervision of a licensed teacher.

     SECTION 5.  Appointments to the advisory board on teacher retention established by section 2 of this Act shall be made within thirty days of the effective date of this Act.  The advisory board shall hold its first meeting no later than August 1, 2019, with the date, time, and location of the meeting to be designated by the chairperson of the advisory board.

     SECTION 6.  In codifying the new sections added by section 2 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

     SECTION 7.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 8.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050; provided that section 4 of this Act shall be repealed on June 30, 2023.


 


 

Report Title:

DOE; Teacher Retention; Advisory Board; Exit Interviews; Mentorship Pilot Program; Annual Reports

 

Description:

Establishes a teacher retention advisory board within the Department of Education for administrative purposes to study and make recommendations regarding teacher retention and recruitment in the State.  Requires the advisory board to design a teacher mentorship pilot program to be administered by the Department of Education during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years.  Requires the Department of Education to conduct detailed exit interviews with teachers who voluntarily leave the employ of the department.  Requires annual reports to the legislature.  (HB650 HD1)

 

 

 

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