Bill Text: HI HCR111 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging The University Of Hawaii To Develop And Implement Undergraduate Teacher Education Degree Programs On Each Neighbor Island.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-11 - Referred to LHE/LAB, FIN, referral sheet 40 [HCR111 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-HCR111-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	111
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT UNDERGRADUATE TEACHER EDUCATION DEGREE PROGRAMS ON EACH NEIGHBOR ISLAND.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, there is a statewide shortage of certified instructors to adequately serve the educational needs of Hawaii's K-12 public school students; and

 

WHEREAS, five hundred eight emergency hires taught public school students during the 2018-2019 school year, but there were five hundred twenty-one additional vacancies that remained unfilled, reflecting a vacuum in licensed educators; and

 

     WHEREAS, the number of Hawaii education program graduates has declined sharply within the past decade, falling from five hundred forty-four in the 2012-2013 academic year to three hundred eighty in the 2017-2018 academic year; and

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii has demonstrated worsening teacher retention rates, with the number of teachers leaving Hawaii increasing by over seventy percent since 2012; and

 

     WHEREAS, neighbor island school complexes exhibit some of the highest percentages of emergency hires and vacancies, including thirty-five percent of teachers in Lanai, nineteen percent of teachers in Hana, and fifteen percent of teachers in Molokai; and

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii State Approved Teacher Education Programs offering undergraduate degrees have not yet been established on any of the neighbor islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, offering undergraduate teaching degrees on all the neighbor islands will provide neighbor island students with equal access to pursuing degrees in teacher education and serving the unique educational needs of their communities; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii is urged to develop and implement undergraduate teacher education degree programs on each neighbor island; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in formulating neighbor island undergraduate teaching degrees, the University of Hawaii is urged to:

 

     (1)  Gather data from the current population of K-12 public school teachers on the neighbor islands to assess subject area needs and capabilities;

 

(2)  Establish relationships with the neighbor island complex areas to develop teacher education pathways for high school students to enroll in undergraduate teacher education programs; and

 

(3)  Expand distance learning opportunities to bolster teacher education opportunities on the neighbor islands; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson and Members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, President of the University of Hawaii System, Chairperson and Members of the Board of Education, and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT UNDERGRADUATE TEACHER EDUCATION DEGREE PROGRAMS ON EACH NEIGHBOR ISLAND.