STATE OF HAWAII
BOARD OF EDUCATION
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE

MINUTES

Queen Liliuokalani Building
1390 Miller Street, Room 404
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Thursday, November 15, 2018

PRESENT:
Brian De Lima, Esq., Committee Chairperson
Dwight Takeno, Committee Vice Chairperson
Margaret Cox
Nolan Kawano
Kili Namau‘u
Catherine Payne
Kenneth Uemura
Bruce Voss, Esq.

EXCUSED:
Patricia Bergin

ALSO PRESENT:
Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent
Cynthia Covell, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Talent Management
Kerry Tom, Director, Personnel Management Branch, Office of Talent Management
Keri Shimomoto, Educational Specialist, Teacher Induction Center
Alison Kunishige, Executive Director
Regina Pascua, Board Private Secretary
Irina Dana, Secretary

I. Call to Order

The Human Resources Committee (“Committee”) meeting was called to order by Committee Chairperson Brian De Lima at 9:30 a.m.


II. *Public testimony on Human Resources Committee (“Committee”) agenda items

Committee Chairperson De Lima called for public testimony. The following people provided oral testimony.

Name
Organization
Agenda Item
Position
Corey RosenleeHawaii State Teachers AssociationIV.B. Presentation on annual reporting of the 2017-2020 Department of Education and Board of Education Joint Strategic Plan indicators for Goal 2 (staff success) Comment

Corey Rosenlee, Hawaii State Teachers Association (“HSTA”), testified on the Department of Education (“Department”) and Board of Education (“Board”) Joint Strategic Plan (“Strategic Plan”) indicators for Goal 2 and presented on the Department’s information regarding its retention and recruitment of teachers. Rosenlee reviewed teacher retention averages in Hawaii versus averages in other states and highlighted the differences. He stated that Hawaii trails behind similar districts in every category and that the reason for this is that every other district compensates teachers based on experience while the Department compensates teachers based on negotiated steps. Rosenlee stated that since HSTA presented to the Committee two years ago, Hawaii has fallen further behind. He detailed that San Francisco had similar problems, but made efforts to resolve problems.

Rosenlee reviewed teacher salaries in other cities and stated that the number one reason why teachers are separating from the Department is that they are leaving Hawaii. He emphasized that there has been a 71% increase in teachers leaving Hawaii since School Year (“SY”) 2012-2013. He stated that one of the indicators for the Strategic Plan is teacher positions filled by state-approved teacher education programs (“SATEP”) teachers, but noted that SATEP teachers are not the same as licensed teachers. Rosenlee stated that the number of special education teachers have decreased over time. He stated that the Department filled 1,862 special education positions with SATEP teachers, but having SATEP does not mean that teachers have licenses or qualify to teach in special education classrooms. Rosenlee noted that the Department filled 1,715 positions with teachers with a special education license. He emphasized that the Department is short almost 500 positions for special education, which is a situation ripe for a lawsuit. Rosenlee stated that the Department cannot provide services unless it has special education teachers and noted that some areas have more shortages and are in crisis. He detailed that students go year after year without receiving the special education services that they need.

Rosenlee stated that in the early 1970s, there were consecutive high increases to teacher contracts. He stated that this resulted in Hawaii being fourth in the nation for graduation rates and sixteenth in the nation for SAT scores. Rosenlee stated that the Department’s current problems are not impossible to fix but noted that the Department cannot fix these problems with short-gap measures. He noted that the Board and Department are reviewing the Troops to Teachers program as well as the recruitment of international teachers. Rosenlee noted research that shows that these efforts would result in low retention rates and detailed that international teachers could only stay in Hawaii for three years. He emphasized that there are no shortcuts to fixing education. Rosenlee further emphasized that the Department, Board, and HSTA need to work together.

Committee Member Bruce Voss referenced data regarding salaries and pay scales for starting teachers, mid-career teachers, and most experienced teachers. He stated that the most serious problem appears to be in relation to the pay scale for mid-career teachers. He asked Rosenlee what the solution is to this problem and asked whether Rosenlee suggests step increases or a different solution. Rosenlee stated that the solution is to move steps to years so teachers know what they will make in ten years. He detailed collective bargaining agreements from the previous teacher contract and noted that competitive districts would have negotiated a salary increase. Rosenlee emphasized the importance of negotiating pay increases and stated that this issue is not expensive to fix.

Committee Member Voss asked what the dollar cost would be if fundamental changes tying steps to years were made. Rosenlee stated that HSTA believes that the costs would range from $50 to $60 million. He stated that this change would only affect 5,000 teachers because there is a huge gap in regards to mid-level teachers. Rosenlee described why it is problematic for teachers to not know what they will make in the future and stated that teachers may stay in Hawaii if they knew how much their compensation would increase in the future. He stated that salaries for beginning teachers are similar compared to other states, but there is a significant compression for mid-level teachers. He explained a 15-year gap where teachers could move up one or two steps, and detailed that this is a flaw in teacher compensation in Hawaii.

Committee Vice Chairperson Dwight Takeno asked if the current collective bargaining agreement has a process or mechanism that allows teachers to move up steps rather than having to negotiate step movements. Rosenlee detailed the current collective bargaining agreement. He stated that due to the recently proposed constitutional amendment, everyone in Hawaii has been discussing education. He emphasized the importance of acting now from a crisis standpoint rather than waiting until the expiration of the contract in two years. He stated that the crisis is ongoing and cannot wait years for a fix. Rosenlee stated that the process is that at any point both parties can fix the problem.

Committee Vice Chairperson Takeno asked about negotiated provisions used by members and asked if Rosenlee has statistics on how many teachers increased their salary through professional development credits. Rosenlee stated that he does not have this data.

Committee Member Margaret Cox commented that it is problematic for teachers to receive higher pay but have the same training as when they first graduated. She stated that it is problematic for the State to pay teachers for years of service regardless of whether they took courses or have professional development credits. She noted that the expectation is that teachers get better over time, but teachers cannot get better if they do not have new ideas. Committee Member Cox stated that pay scale should tie professional development to pay increases. Rosenlee agreed and stated that competitive districts have two components in regards to pay increases, including years of service and continuing education. He stated that other states maintain the same structure, which is why HSTA is able to compare data. Rosenlee noted that more education is required for teachers to move up the salary schedule. Committee Member Cox agreed.

Committee Member Nolan Kawano commented data relating to teacher separation. He stated that if personal reasons are included in this data, some teachers leave the profession because they are dissatisfied with their environment. He commented that these teachers left the profession, but stayed in Hawaii. Committee Member Kawano stated that the total number of teachers who left for personal reasons outnumber the teachers who left the state. Committee Member Kawano stated that pay may not make a difference for these teachers. He noted that while he may agree with Rosenlee’s suggestions regarding higher pay, it might only solve part of the issue rather than all of the issues. Rosenlee explained that increasing pay is not just to pay teachers more; it also creates a surplus. He explained that special education teachers would rather have lower caseloads than higher pay, but there is no way to lower their caseloads unless there are more special education teachers. Rosenlee stated that there was a lower teacher to student ratio in 2009 compared to now. To have the same ratio today, the Department would need 200 or 300 additional positions. He detailed that if principals had a surplus, they could use their Weighted Student Formula funds to purchase special education positions. Rosenlee highlighted that an increase in pay would not only ensure that teachers receive better pay, but it would create an incentive for teachers to stay and it would increase the number of individuals entering the teaching profession. Rosenlee stated that he supports the Department’s salary study and special education recruitment, but he emphasized the importance of reviewing the overall problem.

Committee Chairperson De Lima detailed presentations that the Student Achievement Committee received regarding special education in various complexes. He stated that he asked about the lack of special education teachers within schools during these presentations and commented regarding teachers who do not have a special education background teaching in special education classrooms. He noted that he remarked that the Strategic Plan emphasizes the best teachers teaching the most vulnerable students during these presentations. However, he became aware that there are challenges within schools and realities related to collective bargaining and teacher’s rights. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Board would not dictate who will teach what. He noted that there are complexities in regards to what happens at the school-level and in the classroom. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that there is recognition that there are vacancies in special education, and noted that this was discussed during those meetings as well. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Committee asked HSTA whether it would support an effort or pilot project to pay special education teachers more and emphasized that the Department needs to try something different and cannot wait until the next collective bargaining negotiation. He stated that if more pay attracts and retains special education teachers, then that would be part of the evidence. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that HSTA indicated its willingness to implement this pilot project. He asked for Rosenlee’s thoughts and stated that if HSTA is open to this idea, then the Committee will continue to push the Department in this direction, which the Department already articulated is a priority.

Rosenlee stated that the best teachers should address the highest needs. He noted that some of the highest needs are in special education and some of the most vulnerable areas are high-poverty rural areas. Rosenlee stated that the Department currently offers a bonus, but this bonus has not been a driving factor. Rosenlee stated that HSTA has proposed and is open to the idea of paying teachers more if teachers are willing to work in hard-to-staff areas. He noted that this is a common practice and encourages teachers to work in these areas. Rosenlee stated that HSTA is open to reviewing how to compensate special education teachers in order to recruit and retain special education teachers. He noted that there used to be a surplus of teachers in elementary schools, but now there are shortages in elementary schools. Rosenlee emphasized the importance of discussing these issues and taking action. He noted that there is a special education crisis and many hard-to-staff areas, and emphasized the importance of solving the problem.

Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent, expressed appreciation for Rosenlee’s presentation. She noted that this discussion is not just occurring during Committee meetings, but is also occurring offline because the Department is mutually committed to addressing this difficult situation. Kishimoto highlighted that she participated in the Council of Chief State School Officers conference and detailed that she engaged in discussions regarding teacher shortages at this conference. Kishimoto detailed that the Department needs to review short-term as well as long-term solutions and existing pay structures. The Department needs to review how to restructure pay from multiple perspectives. She highlighted programs such as Troops to Teachers, and emphasized that all partners need to be present at the table. Kishimoto stated that the reason the Department partnered with Teach for America and Troops to Teachers was not to mitigate the issue. The purpose of partnering was for the Department to bring other leaders to the table and diversify its workforce. She highlighted that everyone has a voice at this table and further highlighted the importance of collaboration on recruitment and retention issues. Kishimoto detailed that the Department needs to review its recruitment pipeline, and in regards to retention, the Department needs to strengthen the teaching profession and treat it as a respected profession. Kishimoto stated that policy agendas should be bold to show that the Department supports teachers. She further emphasized the importance of all organizations working collaboratively together to solve these issues, and stated that she looks forward to the Department’s continued work with other organizations.

Written testimony was also received and provided to the Committee Members. The following is a listing of the people that submitted written testimony before the testimony deadline.

Name
Organization
Agenda Item
Position
Corey RosenleeHawaii State Teachers AssociationIV.B. Presentation on annual reporting of the 2017-2020 Department of Education and Board of Education Joint Strategic Plan indicators for Goal 2 (staff success) Comment


III. Approval of Meeting Minutes of October 18, 2018

ACTION: Motion to approve the Human Resources Committee Meeting minutes of October 18, 2018, and the Human Resources Committee Meeting executive session minutes of October 18, 2018 (Voss/Payne). The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye. IV. Discussion Items

Committee Chairperson De Lima asked if Cynthia Covell, Assistant Superintendent of Talent Management, Office of Human Resources, could provide him with a briefing to ensure that the Department placed individuals on department directed leave (“DDL”) due to serious allegations rather than minor issues. He noted that the Committee monitors why the Department places employees on DDL or leave pending investigation (“LPI”), and noted that part of this monitoring is assurance that the Department placed an individual on DDL or LPI for serious matters that necessitated removal.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Committee did not schedule an executive session, and stated that it would be inappropriate to share sensitive information in public. Committee Chairperson De Lima commented on open cases by stage in process and expressed concern over cases being in the decision-making process for seven to 12 months or over 12 months.

Committee Member Voss commented on pending cases and noted that a number of teachers have inappropriate conduct toward students allegations against them and noted that this number is larger than what it has been historically. He asked if there is any reason for this, such as the reporting of lesser offenses. Covell stated that she would need to review historic information. Covell emphasized that .02% of employees is a small percentage in a big scheme. She stated that the Department places employees on DDL or LPI in two instances, including if they are interfering with the safety of students or if they are interfering with an investigation. She noted that the Department does not start an investigation unless there is serious misconduct. Covell stated that Complex Area Superintendents seek guidance from the Department and the Department encourages them to move employees to other work sites. Covell stated that the Civil Rights Compliance Branch has 14 investigators and 40 to 50% of cases. She highlighted that civil rights investigators are closing out cases faster, which may be due to the number of cases that Committee Member Voss raised. She stated that figures have not changed from 12 months ago and the Department would need to go back further than 12 months to review.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Department is making decisions quickly and employees are returning to work when allegations do not merit suspension, termination, or reprimands. He stated that the Department is trying to return individuals who were wrongfully accused back to work immediately, and discipline employees in a timely matter. He stated that the Department’s report confirms that it is handling cases in a timely matter and resolving cases quickly. Committee Chairperson De Lima expressed concern that there are cases beyond seven months that are awaiting decision-making. Covell detailed due process and explained that sometimes the Department needs to wait for union representatives to move forward.

Covell introduced Kerry Tom, Director, Personnel Management Branch, Office of Talent Management; and Keri Shimomoto, Educational Specialist, Teacher Induction Center.
Covell stated that the Department does most of its recruitment in the fall and winter. She reviewed Strategic Plan indicators, focusing on Goal 2, Staff Success, and detailed staff challenges. Covell stated that teacher shortages are not only occurring in Hawaii, but are a nationwide phenomenon. She noted that shortages in special education are difficult and stated that other states are having difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers in special education.

Covell reviewed the Strategic Plan Dynamic Report and highlighted that the report is also available on the Department’s website. Covell stated that the Department recruited 100 more teachers this year. She stated that some of the Department’s activities and initiatives are working, but some are not working at a fast enough rate. She noted that the Department’s denominator also grew. Covell stated that while the Department recruited more teachers, principals brought more positions. Covell noted that the Department’s indicator only shows teacher positions filled by SATEP teachers. She stated that for SY 2018-2019, the Department filled 12,408 out of 13,437 positions. For SY 2019-2020, the Department has a lot of work to do to close the gap. Covell stated that the Department filled 20 more special education positions than it did in the previous year, but the number of positions grew so it is not keeping pace with the demand for special education teachers. She highlighted that the Department hired a special education recruiter two weeks ago and further highlighted that it is a dedicated position to recruit special education teachers. Covell noted that the Department has been engaging in discussions with individuals in the special education field who attend special education conferences and detailed that other states send special education recruiters to these conferences. She stated that the Department is reviewing high-attendance special education conferences to which it can send its recruiter.

Covell reviewed filled teacher positions as of August 1 of each year, including teachers with SATEP, teachers without SATEP, and vacancies. She noted that the non-SATEP category includes teachers working toward licensure and teachers from Teach for America who do not have licenses as of yet. She explained that the Department includes these teachers in this category, but noted that they are progressing toward licensure. She added that this category also includes Reserve Officer Training Corps instructors. Covell stated that these teachers are close to becoming certified. She noted that not all of them remain with the Department, but many do. Covell reviewed vacancies and explained that the over 1,000 vacancies include the non-SATEP teachers. She stated that the Department needs to close the gap in the vacancy area in the beginning of the school year. Covell stated that principals fill vacant positions at their discretion. Some principals fill these positions with emergency hires, including retired teachers who have certificates. She noted that principals screen hires and do not put individuals in classrooms whom they do not trust. She stated that some teachers fill vacancies with substitute teachers, which also involves a screening process. She added that most substitute teachers have a bachelor’s degree. Covell stated that the idea is for the Department to fill vacant positions with certified teachers.

Covell reviewed the Department’s teacher recruitment initiatives and highlighted that the Department’s approach is a multi-pronged approach. Covell explained that the Department recruits locally, but also needs to diversify its recruitment efforts and expand beyond recruiting locally due to the number of teachers exiting education preparation programs in the state. She stated that the Department tries to recruit from other states as well and noted that this effort does not cost a lot. Covell stated that the Department took eight trips to other states for recruitment purposes in the last year and spent $40,000. She highlighted that these efforts were successful and the Department was able to recruit half of its teachers. Covell added that many of these teachers stay in Hawaii. The other half of its teachers come from education preparation programs.

Covell stated that another initiative is the Troops to Teachers program. She highlighted that the Department has a Troops to Teacher recruiter and made contact with transition centers on military bases. Covell detailed the Teacher Education Coordinating Committee’s (“TECC”) recruiting and retention five year plan and noted that the Department previously briefed the Committee on the initiatives from this plan. Last year, TECC formulated its plan, and this year its plan is to execute its plan. Covell stated that TECC’s plan focuses on three key areas with three sub-work groups, including the teacher pipeline, teacher-in-service satisfaction, and compensation and benefits. If the Department focuses on these areas, there are many steps and actions that it can take that will help it. Covell stated that another initiative is the University of Hawaii’s “Grow Our Own” program. She stated that the Department would like to see this program continue. She noted that Legislature funded the program through a legislative add-on the last two years, and the Department would like the Legislature to continue funding it next year. She detailed that the second cohort will begin in January and further detailed that the program includes educational assistants and substitutes who already have bachelor’s degrees and need teacher certification. Covell noted that the program is 18 months and highlighted that the first cohort will graduate in June and includes about 29 students who demonstrated a desire to work in the teaching field.

Covell stated that the Department is reviewing international recruiting. Its plan is to use a company to recruit a small number of teachers. She stated that this initiative is not a long-term solution due to short-term visas, but it will bring diversity into the teacher workforce. Covell stated that the Department is also reviewing expanding virtual recruiting fairs. She stated that cyber fairs have been successful and have produced a significant number of teachers so the Department plans to continue participating in virtual recruiting fairs. Covell stated that the Department is also reviewing compensation. She detailed the Department’s salary study and explained that the Department is using HSTA’s data and working collectively to analyze salaries. She noted the high-cost of living in Hawaii and stated that teacher pay is not keeping pace with cost of living, which may be deterring teachers from moving to Hawaii. Covell stated that last year, recruiters asked potential teachers if they would be willing to move to Hawaii if the Department paid them a relocation fee. She stated that the Department paying for relocation was successful and the Department will continue this practice this year. She explained that the Department used to pay for relocation, but then it stopped. When it tried this initiative this year, it found that it worked. Covell stated that the Department has funding to pay for relocation and it would ask for additional funding if it needed to do so because it helps it to recruit teachers.

Covell reviewed the five-year teacher retention indicator for beginning teachers. She stated that teacher retention for beginning teachers increased from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2017-2018 by 2%. However, it decreased by 3% for SY 2018-2019. She noted that the Department is still reviewing retention rates for previous school years. Covell stated that teacher retention was 64.6% at the three-year mark for teachers hired in 2015. However, at the four-year mark, the retention rate decreased to 57%. Covell stated that the Department needs to review what happens at the three-year mark and what happens after five years.

Shimomoto reviewed induction and mentoring. She stated that the Teacher Induction Center had 1,438 beginning first and second year teachers and 653 active mentors mentoring across the state. This year, the Teacher Induction Center focused on establishing standards of mentoring practice, which details practices to ensure equity and access to highly effective teachers. She stated that the Teacher Induction Center met with the Superintendent to work on identifying guaranteed supports for every new hire and has been rolling this out. Shimomoto stated that part of the Teacher Induction Center’s work last year included doing site visits with Covell. The Teacher Induction Center met with CASs to collaborate, share strategies, and share data regarding effective mentoring practices that affect student learning and teacher growth. The Teacher Induction Center received input from these meetings and used this feedback in its standards of mentoring practice that it rolled out in the beginning of the year. Shimomoto stated that the Teacher Induction Center is committed to increasing Title IIA funds and increasing mentor stipends. She detailed that CASs expressed that increasing these funds and stipends would support their programs.

Shimomoto highlighted the Teacher Induction Center’s beginning teacher summer academy. She detailed that the academy, in partnership with 14 complex areas, provides teachers with successful strategies, tools, and resources. Shimomoto highlighted that the Teacher Induction Center asked participants for feedback and participants expressed that the academy supported and helped them. The academy expanded this year in three complex areas to provide summer academies for special education beginning teachers. Shimomoto detailed that the Superintendent’s special education taskforce recommended that the Department expand mentoring and networking for special education teachers. She highlighted that the summer academy for beginning teachers was able to provide special education teachers with mentoring and networking and it went well. Shimomoto further highlighted that other complex areas want to expand in this area next summer for their special education teachers. Shimomoto detailed that the Teacher Induction Center provided these academies in partnership with the Special Education District Office. Shimomoto highlighted mentor professional learning series and detailed that the Teacher Induction Center continues to provide consistent statewide mentor training. This year, it trained 225 new mentors for 64 days.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Committee received a presentation regarding mentoring and induction several months ago and expressed appreciation for the update. He emphasized that mentoring is a valuable component of teacher retention. Shimomoto stated that the Teacher Induction Center sends out surveys and 97% of respondents comment that they plan to stay in the teaching profession. She stated that the Teacher Induction Center is receiving good feedback from first and second year beginning teachers.

Covell reviewed teacher separation counts by reason and noted that the Department breaks down the data even further in its separation report. Covell reviewed the top reasons why teachers leave the Department. She stated that the number one reason why teachers leave is due to their spouse’s job, the second is for family reasons though there is no additional clarity, the third is the high cost of living, the fourth is due to their military spouse’s job, and the next highest is for out-of-state teaching jobs. She stated that separate data is comprised of 423 teachers. Covell noted that teachers leave for various reasons, but most reported that they left due to their spouse’s job or for family reasons. She stated that these reasons could be financial, but the Department does not know for sure.

Covell stated that the number of teachers retiring has remained steady. She detailed that the Department is reviewing a pilot program that Arizona has implemented where they are bringing in retired teachers as contractors. She stated that the Department is reviewing whether this population would be interested in returning to teaching full-time as opposed to returning to fill vacancies. Covell stated that the Department would like to more regarding why teachers reported that they are leaving the teaching profession and about teachers leaving to non-Department teaching jobs. Covell stated that the education center, including the Chamber of Commerce, charter schools, the Superintendent, and private schools discussed how each sector steals teachers from one another and would like to overall increase the number of teachers for each sector. Covell noted that private and charter schools are also addressing shortage issues. Although each sector needs to remain competitive, all sectors agreed to together raise the number of teachers for all sectors. Covell detailed teacher preparation programs and noted that the Department’s dynamic report will show data for each complex area. She stated that data is broken down by complex area and by school. When the data is spread out over 256 schools, most schools have one, two, or three vacancies. Altogether, 500 vacancies sounds like a large number, but vacancies are spread out across schools and complex areas, with Farrington High School having the most vacancies at 11. Covell stated that regardless of the number of vacancies, the issue is still serious because every child deserves a highly qualified teacher in his or her classroom. However, reviewing vacancies across schools and complex areas provides a different perspective.

Committee Member Cox stated that the Board is encouraging inclusion practices in classrooms and noted that more co-teaching in classrooms requires more special education teachers. She stated that the Board is also adding to some of the problems because principals report that they cannot implement co-teaching in their schools due to a lack of personnel. She stated that the Department needs to keep special education issues in mind as it recruits. Committee Member Cox noted that the Department has some of the lowest inclusion rates in the nation and needs to do more. She stated that the Department needs additional special education teachers in order to have inclusion in schools because one teacher cannot co-teach in math, science, social studies, and English classrooms. Committee Member Cox stated that co-teaching requires additional teachers. She noted that this is important because it is adding to problems in trying to close the achievement gap. She emphasized the importance of co-teaching when it is appropriate for students, but noted that schools are making decisions to not have co-teaching classrooms due to a lack of personnel.

Committee Member Cox commented on Career Technical Education (“CTE”) programs and noted that an auto mechanic, for example, has the knowledge to teach an auto shop class but would need training and would not have a license. She stated that the Department needs to address this issue because it is decreasing programs because it cannot find individuals to teach CTE classes. She stated that the Department needs to provide students with what they need. Committee Member Cox noted that this is an issue, but she is unsure how the Department could address it because part of the issue is licensing and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. She detailed that an auto mechanic with 20 years of experience who decides to help schools cannot take all of the required classes. Committee Member Cox stated that perhaps the Department could provide training rather than having these individuals take classes at a community college or university.

Covell stated that in regards to CTE, individuals could obtain permits. She stated that under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the State has the authority to qualify teachers who meet certain criteria. The State considers these individuals teachers even though they do not have a license. Covell stated that the Department could brief the Department on this information in the future. Tom explained that one of the issues in regards to CTE is compensation. He stated that individuals can make more money in private sectors than in teaching, so the Department needs to review the compensation component.

Committee Member Voss stated that the compression of mid-career teachers, particularly teachers who have been teaching between five to ten years, is still a problem in terms of teacher retention. He stated that the Department can spend time, effort, and money on recruitment, but under the current structure, teachers have limited financial incentive to stay past five years. Committee Member Voss stated that Rosenlee suggested tying steps to years of service, which he estimated to cost $50 to $60 million. Committee Member Voss stated that he recognizes that this idea is subject to collective bargaining and funding from the Legislature. He asked what the Department’s view is regarding Rosenlee’s suggestion and what the Department can do to provide mid-career teachers with financial incentive to stay.

Covell stated that the Department supports compensation increases and noted that mid-career compensation is an issue. She stated that the Department could review the current structure, consider options, and analyze whether it makes sense to tie years to steps or implement a different structure. Kishimoto stated that there is compression at the mid-career level nationwide and noted that other districts have reviewed ranges or escalating compensation for teachers who remain and having a rate of growth in the step schedule escalate for those years to reward mid-career teachers and allow them to go up steps faster and at a greater rate of escalation. Kishimoto stated that the Department needs to discuss these options and come to a resolution as quickly as possible with all parties. She added that the Department also needs to determine what it will request from the Legislature. She stated that there are short-term fixes and considerations for long-term fixes.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that there is no perfect solution for compression and noted that it exists in every industry. He stated that if the Department needs to request funding from the Legislature, it needs to determine what to do sooner rather than later.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that it is important to not minimize the vacancy issue. He cautioned against the idea that vacancies are not a problem because the Department has filled 92% of vacancies. He suggested not minimizing the problem unless the Department can show through data that principals are hiring highly qualified substitutes for one or two vacancies to teach courses that do not require academic rigor. Committee Chairperson De Lima commented on Committee Member Cox’s concerns regarding CTE and asked how many positions fit into that category. He stated that the Department has 256 schools and around 80 high schools, which usually teach CTE courses. He asked how many teachers fill the positions that are not approved. He stated that if the problem is serious, then it speaks to the need to address compensation. Committee Chairperson De Lima commented that Rosenlee indicated that the Department categorizes teachers without a license in its SATEP category and asked if the Department fills positions with these unlicensed teachers. Tom explained that the Department has minimized this in recent years because teachers are taking tests when they graduate from programs and obtaining licenses immediately.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that teachers without a license, that the Department uses to fill positions, are working toward a license and noted that this figure is fluid over a short period. Covell stated that the rule is that after they are in school for three years, they can no longer teach. Committee Chairperson De Lima asked if this rule applies to temporary teachers. Covell confirmed that it does. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that principals exercise discretion in filling vacancies. He asked what courses teachers in this category teach. Covell stated that the Department would need to do a data poll at each school to determine this information because principals have the discretion to buy and sell teachers for particular subject areas.

Covell stated that the Department’s intent is not to minimize the vacancy problem, but explain that factually, each school has a certain number of vacancies and detail what schools are doing to fill these vacancies. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that everyone agrees that teacher vacancies are a problem. He stated that he is confident that the Superintendent is working with her team and with stakeholders to address this problem in a deliberate and systematic way where there will be positive short-term and long-term results.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that in a recent public discussion regarding funding for public schools, a statistic was cited that gave the public the impression that unqualified teachers teach a large percentage of students. Committee Chairperson De Lima expressed concern that the public has the impression that individuals who are not qualified are teaching their children because of the teacher shortage crisis. He stated that the Department’s presentation is important because it highlights that the Department filled over 12,000 positions with qualified teachers, many whom are highly qualified. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Department has 500 vacancies. He stated that non-SATEP teachers and other teachers, some of whom may be retired, fill about 1,000 teaching positions. He stated that 1,000 teachers is 8% of the Department’s workforce. Committee Chairperson De Lima detailed that HSTA did an analysis and detailed data in public commercials indicating that non-licensed teachers are teaching 30,000 students. He stated that from this point of view, vacancies are concerning, regardless of whether there are only one or two vacancies at a particular school. Committee Chairperson De Lima emphasized the Department’s effort to ensure that individuals in classrooms are qualified to deliver products to students. He stated that he trusts principals in their screening and hiring of individuals. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that non-SATEP teachers are delivering a quality product to students in the classroom and the Department will continue to work to ensure that all teachers are licensed.

Covell confirmed that it is the Department’s belief that every student deserves to have a highly qualified teacher and principals make that effort. She detailed that she has visited schools, and sometimes principals serve as substitutes on days when teachers call in sick. She stated that this is not an optimum solution and noted that it is not perfect in every school every day, but for over 30,000 students, the Department’s efforts and principals’ leadership places teachers, in whom Covell has confidence, in front of students.

Committee Member Kenneth Uemura commented on the Department’s list of initiatives for recruitment and asked if these initiatives are supposed to help the Department reach is target goal of 96%. He asked if the Department set goals for each initiative and asked what these goals are. Covell stated that the Department has calculations, but does not have hard targets. She explained that the Department has not divvied up its initiatives, but it reviewed historical figures and approaches to reach the same targets. Tom stated that the Department’s internal goal is 100%, but there is some reality to this. Tom stated that he has been working in conjunction with Covell, and Covell has provided him with more tools to close the gap than he has had in a long time. Covell stated that the Department has numbers that it has discussed, but has not publicized them. She detailed that for international recruiting, the Department expects to recruit no more than 20 teachers, but would be happy with ten teachers for its first time. She detailed that the Department typically recruits 400 out-of-state teachers. She stated that the Department reviewed recruiting rates from each recruiting trip to determine whether to travel to recruit to certain areas based on the number of recruits different areas produce.

Committee Member Uemura stated that the Department needs to set goals to determine how to allocate resources. He stated that the Committee would be interested to see what goals it set for recruiters. He noted that the Department needs to recruit another 500 teachers to meet its goal of 96%. Committee Member Uemura stated that the Department is providing generalized answers, but the Committee needs to know how the Department is setting goals and allocating resources. He stated that the Department should be reviewing this and noted that the Committee would also like to review this moving forward.

Committee Member Uemura asked if the Department is considering subsidizing teacher housing as a recruiting initiative. Covell stated that she would need to discuss teacher housing with the Office of School Facilities and Support Services. She detailed that the Department has units in various states of repair that it would like to offer teachers. Covell highlighted that the Department supported subsidized housing through testimony the previous year.

Committee Member Uemura expressed appreciation for the Department’s induction and mentoring report and added that 97% of teachers report that they want to stay in the teaching profession. He stated that the Department needs to solve the crisis point for fourth and fifth year teachers. He asked if the Department has tracked teachers who have been in the profession closer to five years and asked if them if they want to continue to stay in the teaching profession. Covell stated that the Department asks teachers why they are leaving when they separate from the Department, but noted that she is unsure whether the Teacher Induction Center tracks teachers past the third year. Shimomoto stated that the Teacher Induction Center has not tracked these teachers or surveyed them. Committee Member Uemura asked why the Teacher Induction Center could not extend its program to fourth and fifth year teachers. He stated that it appears that teachers begin to feel lost after the first and second year, especially out-of-state teachers. He stated that extending the program would provide these teachers with a group and support. He stated that this is something for the Department to consider. Covell stated that the Department works with principals. She detailed the Department’s principal development program with new principals and explained that the program teaches principals how to take care of teachers and provide professional development. She stated that the Department continues to strengthen this partnership. The Department is also engaging the Leadership Institute to teach principals and vice principals that they play a role in retention. She noted that principals also need to focus on new teachers as they grow their staff, but she understands Committee Member Uemura’s concerns. She stated that principals have asked similar questions and stated that the Department will continue to push for more support and tracking of teachers who are in their fourth year of teaching and beyond.

Committee Member Kawano stated that the Department needs to increase teacher pay. He stated that the Department would be unable to retain more than 60% of fourth or fifth year teachers due to low pay. He stated that this is not a reflection of the Department’s programs, but a reflection of the situation that the Department is dealing with, which is low teacher pay. He stated that teachers in their third, fourth, and fifth year of teaching might be more concerned about pay rather than induction and mentoring. Committee Member Kawano stated that the Department needs to increase pay for CTE programs. He stated that the Department does not need to compare national averages; it needs to review private industry. Committee Member Kawano stated that rather than engaging in these discussions offline, the Committee and Department should discuss collective bargaining during its Committee meeting. He stated that the Department needs to show what steps should look like for different professions and disciplines within the profession and what this would cost. Committee Member Kawano stated that he would rather address this here rather than wait and find out that the Department’s solutions did not work because it did not receive enough input or feedback. He stated that the Department’s initiatives would not work if it does not address teacher compensation.

Covell stated that the Department initiated a compensation study that it will complete by a third party and that will help it share publicly. The third party is also reviewing the value of benefits. Covell stated that the Department would share its compensation study with the Committee and noted that the study would provide the Committee and Department with the full picture of total compensation. She stated that HSTA’s input and data is valuable because it shows the Department the differences, specifically cost-of-living. Committee Chairperson De Lima asked when the Department would complete its study. Covell stated that the Department would complete its study in six months. She explained that the Department is currently undergoing the procurement process and will have a contract in place. Kishimoto stated that the Department is working on gathering data. She stated that the Committee would need to weigh in heavily on several areas. The first is the position the Committee wants to take around a compensation approach, and the second is how the Committee wants to engage with the Governor and Legislature regarding this conversation and organizing its approach. The third is in regards to subsidized housing or tax credits for teacher housing. Once the Department takes an approach, the Committee will need to make a decision regarding how it wants to take a position and it will need to explore its position very directly with the Legislature. She stated that the Department is working on providing the Committee with figures and approaches and reviewing issues nationally so that the Committee can do the work that it needs to do. Covell stated that the Department is focusing on vacancies and teacher pay, but the Department receives messaging from principals that security assistance and support staff at schools also have low pay, which also affects retention. She stated that the Department is initiating reviews on classified employee salaries as well.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the new biennium budget cycle begins in January. If the Department relies on its salary study and independent review, the salary study will indicate that the State underpays teachers. Then, the Department will enter into collective bargaining because contracts will expire. He stated that it would be two more years of the same experience. He stated that maybe the Department and unions would negotiate something different. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Department would lose the opportunity to address this problem now. He agreed with Committee Member Kawano that the Department should engage in these discussions now in open session. He suggested that the Department invite its experts to analyze and discuss during open session and help the Department put together a package for the upcoming legislative session rather than waiting two years from now. Committee Chairperson De Lima suggested that the Department increase pay for special education teachers by 1/3 to see if it makes a different in recruiting. He stated that the Department’s special education recruiter may have a valuable skillset, but it may be easier to recruit if the Department increases special education pay by 1/3. He stated that the Department should implement a pilot project to increase pay and have teachers commit to serving for a number of years.

Committee Member Cox stated that another part of the problem includes special education teacher workloads. She detailed dual-certified teachers and teaching periods and stated that these issues need to be included in the cost. Committee Member Cox asked if the Department ever asked dual-certified teachers what persuaded them to return to special education. She stated that compensation is part of it, but the Department could address other components that would help. Committee Member Cox asked if the Department is aware of how many dual-certified teachers it has. She stated that many leave special education due to the workload. She emphasized that the Department needs to review the entire situation regarding special education if it wants to resolve issues.

Committee Vice Chairperson Takeno commented on Committee Members’ sentiments regarding discussing collective bargaining and compensation in open session and noted that the Committee needs to be cognizant of the collective bargaining process. He stated that if the Committee were to engage in open discussion regarding collective bargaining, the Governor’s chief negotiator or another individual who understands how the process works and about the authorization of any type of movements should attend.

Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that the Department would be holding a data retreat. He suggested that maybe a summit could take place during the data retreat and legislators and stakeholders can attend. Committee Chairperson De Lima stated that his focus is on funding public education. He suggested that the Committee and Department have this discussion in January while the Legislature is discussing the budget. He stated that the Governor could weigh in as the Department tries to address the teacher shortage and the Department could provide a well thought-out plan regarding what it wants in terms of priorities.


V. Adjournment

Committee Chairperson De Lima adjourned the meeting at 10:58 a.m.