Hawaii-2012-SR61-Introduced

WHEREAS, in 2004, the Legislature passed the Reinventing Education Act, also known as Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004 (Act 51); and

WHEREAS, the intent of Act 51 was to decentralize decision making at the Department of Education and empower complex- and school-level staff and administrators, as well as to encourage greater community involvement, and provide better professional development, enhanced technology, and other education resources to the Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, the main elements of Act 51 include:

(1) Establishing a weighted student formula;

(2) Providing additional information technology to schools;

(3) Empowering school principals through the Hawaii principals academy and other means;

(4) Strengthening community involvement through school community councils and parent-community networking centers;

(5) Providing schools with more mathematics textbooks;

(6) Lowering class size in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two;

(7) Providing full-time, year-round, high school student activity coordinators;

(8) Providing support to students who need additional help to succeed in school;

(9) Establishing a national board certification incentive program for teachers;

(10) Enhancing teacher education;

(11) Reducing the bureaucracy that hampers the effectiveness of the Department of Education;

(12) Improving the educational accountability system; and

(13) Requiring Board of Education members to hold community meetings in their districts; and

WHEREAS, it has been over seven years since Act 51 was enacted and sufficient time has passed for the outcomes of the changes made by Act 51 to be evaluated; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the Board of Education and Department of Education are requested to convene a working group to evaluate compliance with Act 51 and the effectiveness of Act 51 in achieving the State's educational goals, and to make recommendations to the Legislature as to any necessary changes or modifications; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group shall include:

(1) The Chair of the Senate Committee on Education;

(2) The Chair of the House Committee on Education;

(3) The Chair of the Board of Education, or the Chair's designee;

(4) The Superintendent of Education, or the Superintendent's designee;

(5) A representative from the Hawaii Government Employees Association;

(6) A representative from the Hawaii State Teachers Association; and

(7) Any other individuals as may be identified and designated to participate in the working group by the Superintendent of Education to further the purposes of the working group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the working group not be considered employees of the State for purposes of chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, based solely upon their participation on the working group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be exempt from the requirements of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013, the working group:

(1) Report its findings and recommendations as to its evaluation of the weighted student formula; and

(2) Provide the Legislature with an outline and timeline of the working group's remaining objectives in evaluating Act 51; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014, and be dissolved on June 30, 2014; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chair of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, President of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and President of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Education; Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004; Working Group

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	61
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII