Upgraded teacher evaluation policies get green light

Gov. Neil Abercrombie made a rare appearance by a governor before the Board of Education on Tuesday to support the transition to a performance evaluation system for teachers and principals, saying such education reforms can wait no longer.

After testimony by the governor and others, the board unanimously approved three policies that require the Department of Education to adopt new evaluations for teachers and principals that include student academic data, and to apply those evaluations in issues such as compensation, tenure and dismissal.

The policies had been previously approved by the board, but were being amended to reflect tweaks made after the BOE consulted with unions.

While the vote was largely procedural — there was never any doubt of their passage — the policies took on new importance after the defeat last week of proposed legislation aimed at mandating a performance management system for teachers.

Abercrombie, in testimony, said the policies provide "a framework and strategic direction" for the DOE as it moves forward on teacher and principal evaluations that include measures of student growth.

"The people of Hawaii expect this board to be able to act without regard to political nuances," he told the BOE.

The teachers union has opposed the push to require — in law or BOE policy — a move to revamped teacher evaluations that will be tied to such things as tenure and pay, and provided the only testimony in opposition to the policies Tuesday.

Al Nagasako, Hawaii State Teachers Association executive director, told the board the policies would "put the cart before the horse."

"Give us an opportunity to work it out through our contract and we’d be more than happy to support the policy," he said.

The governor responded to Nagasako’s comments, telling reporters, "The horse is the policies. You have to have the policies so that you know what kind of support to put behind it."

Approved Tuesday were:

» Board policy 2055, which requires the DOE to establish teacher and principal evaluation systems based in part on student growth. By the 2013-14 school year, all teachers and principals will be evaluated annually under the new system.

The DOE is piloting a teacher evaluation program in 18 schools currently, and will expand the pilot to 81 schools in the 2012-13 school year.

» Board policy 5200, which requires that the new evaluation system be tied to merit pay and that "highly effective" teachers be eligible for financial recognition.

» Board policy 5100, which lengthens the time it takes to earn tenure and says probationary teachers cannot earn tenure until being rated "effective" for at least two years.

The union worries the policies will pave the way for imposed changes to tenure or pay.

Nagasako said some language in the policies is worrisome, including a section that says the department "shall involve teachers and principals" in the implementation of revamped teacher evaluations but "may negotiate related agreements."

But board members stressed that the policies do not cut out teachers or principals from the process, and that the intent is that items subject to collective bargaining will be hashed out in negotiations.

"I don’t want the public to think these policies are inconsistent with the provisions that already exist," said BOE Vice Chairman Brian DeLima. "HSTA … perhaps is misreading the language and intent of what is being proposed. It mandates that teachers are involved. It mandates collective bargaining."

BOE Chairman Don Horner said the policies "reflect the board’s commitment to ensure the DOE puts in place an evaluation system that is fair, consistent and accurately reflects the performance of our employees."

The move to a performance management system has emerged as among the highest-profile elements of the state’s ambitious Race to the Top-related goals, in large part because of a continuing labor dispute with teachers, which has raised questions about how the rating system will move forward.

The state’s $75 million federal Race grant is in danger because of missed targets, including the failure to reach union agreement on a new evaluation system.

Teachers continue to work under a "last, best and final" contract imposed in July with wage reductions.

In January teachers overwhelmingly voted down a proposed six-year contract that included a new evaluation system, performance-based compensations and tenure rule changes.