With the state failing to win Race to the Top education funds in the first round, attention turns to Round Two, with applications due June 1. It's a top priority for the Department of Education and its interim superintendent, Kathryn Matayoshi. It's also a priority of Gov. Linda Lingle, who outlined what the state needs to do to receive up to $75 million in federal funds:
During the next two months Hawai‘i will need to demonstrate we are serious about meeting the criteria set forth in the Race to the Top application. These criteria include implementing a performance-based evaluation and compensation system for teachers and principals; eliminating statutory, financial and policy barriers to the growth of quality charter schools; and making a firm commitment to increasing student achievement, particularly in math and English.
Hawai‘i should also demonstrate that we can implement a new education governance structure that holds a single person — the Governor — accountable for the success or failure of our school system.
OK, let's get serious about these criteria:
• Pay-for-performance evaluations for teachers and principals. This represents a sea change in how education employees are managed, and will require negotiations among the state administration and the teachers' and principals' unions. Perhaps they should start with something easy, like negotiating an agreement to restore a few furlough days to the school calendar. On second thought...
• Encouraging charter schools. This is a promising idea; policymakers should do more to promote schools with more autonomy, less administrative overhead and more parental involvement, especially in rural, underserved areas. All that's required is a broad agreement among the DOE, the BOE, the unions, the Legislature and the Lingle administration to lift the cap on the number of charter schools and give them more money per pupil. How hard can that be? On second thought...
• A firm commitment to increasing student achievement. The state has to prove this? Heaven help us.
• A complete overhaul of public education's governance structure, with the governor having final authority and responsibility. Could such a change make the first three items more achievable? Well, clearly that depends on who's the governor.
If all this sounds like a challenge, look on the bright side. We have nearly three months. And everyone wants the same thing — to get that $75 million to help make major, long-lasting improvements to the school system. This would be a significant achievement, considering that $75 million might be barely enough to restore the 23 remaining furlough days — which would put the school system right back where it started before the budget cuts. Even so, these and other reforms being pursued by Matayoshi, Lingle and Co., such as innovation zones for lower-achieving schools, are worth the effort, whatever the challenges.
On second thought, let's get that application in. It's worth the shot.