State public charter school commission; establishment; appointment

(a) There is established the state public charter school commission with statewide chartering jurisdiction and authority. The commission shall be placed within the department for administrative purposes only. Notwithstanding section 302D-25 and any law to the contrary, the commission shall be subject to chapter 92. (b) The mission of the commission shall be to authorize high-quality public charter schools throughout the State. (c) The commission shall consist of nine members to be appointed by the board. The board shall appoint members who will be tasked with authorizing public charter schools that serve the unique and diverse needs of public school students. The chair of the commission shall be designated by the members of the commission for each school year beginning July 1, and whenever there is a vacancy. The board shall consider the combination of abilities, breadth of experiences, and characteristics of the commission, including but not limited to reflecting the diversity of the student population, geographical representation, and a broad representation of education-related stakeholders. Members of the commission shall collectively possess experience and expertise in public or nonprofit governance; management and finance; assessment; and public education. The commission shall be exempt from sections 26-34 and 26-36. (d) Understanding that the role of the commission is to ensure a long-term strategic vision for Hawaii's public charter schools, each nominee to the commission shall meet the following minimum qualifications: (1) Commitment to education. Each nominee's record should demonstrate a deep and abiding interest in education, and a dedication to the social, academic, and character development of young people through the administration of a high performing charter school system; (2) Record of integrity, civic virtue, and high ethical standards. Each nominee shall demonstrate integrity, civic virtue, and high ethical standards and be willing to hold fellow commission members to the same; (3) Availability for constructive engagement. Each nominee shall commit to being a conscientious and attentive commission member; and (4) Knowledge of best practices. Each nominee shall have an understanding of best practices in charter school educational governance or shall be willing to be trained in such. (e) Each nominee to the commission shall ideally meet the following recommended qualifications: (1) Experience governing complex organizations. Each nominee should possess experience with complex organizations, including but not limited to performance contract management, and a proven ability to function productively within them; and (2) Collaborative leadership ability. Each nominee should have substantial leadership experience that ideally illustrates the nominee's ability to function among diverse colleagues as an effective team member, with the ability to articulate, understand, and help shape consensus surrounding commission policies. (f) Five members of the commission shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. Any action taken by the commission shall be by a simple majority of the members of the commission who are present; provided that any action of the commission that may be appealed pursuant to section 302D-15 shall require a concurrence of at least five members to be valid. (g) Commission members shall serve not more than three consecutive three-year terms, with each term beginning on July 1; provided that the initial terms that commence after June 30, 2012, shall be staggered as follows: (1) Three members, including the chairperson, to serve three-year terms; (2) Three members to serve two-year terms; and (3) Three members to serve one-year terms. (h) Notwithstanding the terms of the members, the board may fill vacancies in the commission at any time when a vacancy occurs due to resignation, non-participation, the request of a majority of the commission members, or termination by the board for cause. (i) Commission members shall receive no compensation. When commission duties require that a commission member take leave of the member's duties as a state employee, the appropriate state department shall allow the commission member to be placed on administrative leave with pay and shall provide substitutes, when necessary, to fulfill that member's departmental duties. Members shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses incurred in the conduct of official commission business. (j) The commission shall operate with dedicated resources and staff qualified to execute the day-to-day responsibilities of the commission pursuant to this chapter. Beginning with the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the legislature shall make an appropriation to the commission separate from, and in addition to, any appropriation made to charter schools pursuant to sections 302D-28 and 302D-29.5. (k) The commission shall have the power to hire staff without regard to chapters 76 and 89. The commission shall determine staff wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions for employment in accordance with chapter 89C.