The four-year agreement, which takes effect July 1, reflects the priorities of both the Hawaii State Board of Education and the Department to improve teaching quality and raise student achievement.
“The new contract supports teachers in a way that allows a collective focus in our efforts towards supporting student achievement and meeting our strategic goals to transform public education in Hawaii,” said Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “Teachers are critically important because they are the frontline to our students. This contract honors the professional status of our teaching force and provides educators with the time and support to effectively implement strategies to advance student and staff success.”
Highlights of the teacher contract are posted under Related Downloads.
"This contract is a positive milestone for public education in Hawaii," stated Gov. Neil Abercrombie. "It provides opportunities for annual pay increases which are long overdue after years of sacrifice from teachers and other public employees."
The ratified contract affirms a new performance evaluation system that incorporates multiple measures of achievement and professional practice. The Educator Effectivness System (EES), which has been piloted over the past two school years for teachers in about a third of Hawaii public schools, is set for initial statewide implementation next school year, 2013-14. It gives equal weight to student achievement outcomes and professional practice, and includes multiple measures on student learning objectives, student growth, classroom observations and student surveys.
“We are dedicating resources to help our educators become successful,” said Deputy Schools Superintendent Ronn Nozoe. “We know that the only way we make an impact for our students is to have an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective principal in every school. This evaluation system is one component of a fully aligned state system designed to establish clear expectations, a culture of reflection focused on outcomes, and continuous improvement for students, teachers, and principals.”
The EES will work hand-in-hand with the Comprehensive Evaluation System for School Administrators (CESSA), the new principal evaluation that was implemented earlier this school year.
The EES was developed with the input and perspective of educators statewide including through the “Great Teachers Great Leaders Taskforce” (GTGL), formed in early 2012, and other stakeholder groups such as the Teacher Leader Workgroup. The GTGL task force, whose mission was to help craft the new EES in alignment with the Strategic Plan goal of staff success, included members of the business community and unions, nonprofit foundations, the Governor’s Office, and the Department.
Hawaii’s Department of Education serves more than 183,000 students statewide, and is the only statewide public education system in the nation. Student achievement is at the core of the Strategic Plan for education transformation. It increases both accountability and efficiency, and builds on key strengths and reform initiatives to ensure all students graduate ready to succeed in college or careers.
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