70. Streamline Substitute Teacher Certification

WHEREAS certain areas of Maui County do not have enough substitute teachers to fulfill all the County’s needs,

WHEREAS the existing procedures for certifying substitute teachers are needlessly burdensome and expensive to prospective teachers; and

WHEREAS it will save the Department of Education thousands of dollars if they can recruit and train substitute teachers from Maui County rather than spending thousands of dollars to recruit permanent teachers from the mainland, trained substitutes are more likely to become fully certified teachers once they are working for the Department of Education; and

WHEREAS prospective teachers are now required to attend 60 hours of training and pay at $100 for the training; and

WHEREAS the trainings are not readily and frequently available in Maui County, and prospective teachers should not be required to pay for the training and to travel long distances to obtain the required training; and

WHEREAS the Department of Education is depriving many areas of Maui County of needed substitute teachers due to the inconvenience and expenses;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Maui County Democratic Party calls upon the Hawai`i Democratic Party and the Hawai`i Department of Education to assist in streamlining training, making classes available via television and reducing the costs and inconvenience connected with certification of substitute teachers.