After a standoff that lasted two years, the Hawaii State Teachers Association last week approved a contract that ties teacher evaluations and pay raises to student test scores.
The action marks a key victory for the state in its quest to keep its Race to the Top funding, which has been in jeopardy ever since the U.S. Department of Education put its $75 million grant on “high risk” status in 2011.
The contract calls for new teacher evaluations tied to test scores starting in 2015. It also calls for the state and teachers’ union to review the results of the pilot and decide on changes.
