HTSB Board Member

Barry Wurst

Stakeholders Represented:
Maui. 

 

Appointment expires:
2014

 

Title/School:
Special education teacher, King Kamehameha III Elementary School (Lahaina, Maui).

 

Academic Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts. 
Master of Science. 
Master of Arts.

 

Years of Experience:
25 years total: 22 years with the Hawaii Department of Education.

 

Philosophy on teacher licensing:
A teaching license is a validation of being a teacher professional.  In earning that license means that the individual has met the knowledge standard for their area, has an expertise and sensitivity for children and is current in their experience.

 

Goal as an HTSB Board member:
My short-term goal is to give a "face" to the HTSB.  Too many teachers have no knowledge of the HTSB, what it does or how it exists to help them to be better teachers and to provide Hawaii"s students with a quality education.  The HTSB needs to be more teacher friendly–-to do this, HTSB should reach out to teachers by visiting schools, attending HSTA Representative meetngs, and taking time to talk with teachers and administrators.  This will help the HTSB to understand what is really happening in the schools, as well as to promote the need to maintain and increase licensure.

A long-term goal is to improve the recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers.  This would require a four-pronged approach involving the BOE, DOE, HSTA and the HTSB and will require greater communication and cooperation among the four parties.  In starting each school year with qualified teachers, we can begin to move in a direction that would provide all of Hawaii's children with highly qualified teachers, thereby making the children more prepared to become productive members of society.

A second long-term goal specifically addresses Special Education.  To avoid possible litigation and to provide the best possible educational experience for our students with varying disabilities, Special Education teachers must be adequately trained.  Emergency hires or reassigned teachers (out of their certificated field) need immediate training.  When students with intense needs enter the school, the teacher needs to be provided with immediate training to support the safety and education needs of that new student.

My third long-term goal is to expand options for continued higher education.  Many of the approved advanced degrees offer Master's of Education degrees in the same disciplines.  More areas of study need to be offered, and more on-line only programs need to be approved.  In this way, we can support more teachers attaining higher levels of education and being more highly qualified.