Hawaii Senate Bill SR58

Hawaii 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/23
• Refer: 3/15/23

Caption

Requesting The Department Of Education To Partner With The Hawaii State Teachers' Association And Teacher Education Programs At Local Universities And Colleges To Provide Pathways For School Support Personnel To Become Full-time Teachers.

Impact

The resolution seeks to tackle the high turnover rate in both teaching staff and school support personnel, as reported during the 2021-2022 academic year. By allowing these support staff to earn course credits for their classroom work and to enter teacher certification programs without the financial burden of sacrificing income for student teaching, this bill could potentially alleviate the teacher shortage. The successful implementation of this initiative may lead to an increase in the number of qualified educators available to serve Hawaii's public schools.

Summary

Senate Resolution 58 aims to address the significant shortage of licensed teachers in Hawaii by requesting the Department of Education to partner with the Hawaii State Teachers' Association and local universities to facilitate the transition of school support personnel into full-time teaching positions. The resolution highlights the critical role that school support staff, such as educational assistants and para-professional teachers, play in the classroom and seeks to create more streamlined pathways for these individuals to achieve teacher certification.

Contention

While the bill does not face direct legislative opposition, discussions surrounding it could raise points concerning the complexity of creating pathways that appropriately credit prior work experience for educational support staff. Additionally, there may be debates on the effectiveness of merely providing pathways without addressing other underlying factors contributing to teacher shortages, such as compensation, job satisfaction, and working conditions among educators. Therefore, while the bill opens an essential dialogue about teacher recruitment and retention, various stakeholders might call for a more comprehensive plan to address these persistent challenges.