Union, State Officials Plan Collaboration for Hawaiian Priority Schools

The Hawaiian Department of Education and the state teacher’s union may soon be collaborating on an ambitious plan to help transform several lower-performing schools throughout the state, according to a recent report from the Honolulu Advertiser.

The state is proposing to create Zones for School Innovation, which would experiment with reforms such as lengthening the school day and year, changing teaching methods, and trying fresh approaches to recruiting and retaining teachers. According to the report, the state wants to implement reforms through the collective bargaining process, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association is ready to do its part.

Unlike mainland states, Hawaii has a difficult time recruiting certified teachers from other states, and teachers often must teach outside their areas of specialization. For example, only 70 percent of math courses are taught by teachers rated as “highly qualified” — and that number dips to 55 percent on the Wai’anae Coast.

HSTA President Wil Okabe told the Advertiser that the union wants to work with the state to support the work conditions necessary for reform, to help it find new ways to recruit teachers, and to ensure that Hawaii’s current teachers get the support and professional development they need to be successful.

To read the full story from the Honolulu Advertiser, click here.

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