STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3123

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 61

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 61 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE REINVENTING EDUCATION ACT OF 2004, AS AMENDED,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Board of Education and Department of Education to convene a working group to evaluate compliance with and the effectiveness of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004 (Act 51), the Reinventing Education Act of 2004.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, and twelve individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee finds that 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 educational resources to the Department of Education.  More than seven years have passed since Act 51 was enacted and this measure requests that the Board of Education and Department of Education review and evaluate compliance with Act 51 and the effectiveness of Act 51 in achieving the State's educational goals.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requesting the Board of Education and Department of Education to review and evaluate Act 51, rather than requesting that they convene a working group to conduct the review and evaluation;

 

     (2)  Adding language to request that in conducting their review and evaluation of Act 51, the Board of Education and Department of Education consult with key stakeholder groups including but not limited to parents, teachers, educational officers, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and Hawaii State Teachers Association;

 

     (3)  Removing the exemption of the working group from chapters 84 and 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

 

     (4)  Adding language to request the Board of Education and Department of Education to additionally report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013 on the status of implementation of principal performance contracts;

 

     (5)  Removing the legislative reporting requirement for the 2014 Regular Session;

 

     (6)  Amending its title; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 61, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 61, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

		____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair