HGEA Principals gets 18% pay raise, After 10 Years Still No Agreement on Evaluations
Star-Adv April 22, 2014: Arbitrators did not resolve disputes between the union and the state over high-stakes evaluations for principals.
Despite performance evaluations being a hot topic going into the arbitration process, Perreira said in a phone interview Monday there are no permanent or long-standing terms included in the arbitration agreement that link performance to pay increases — meaning the union and the state are still negotiating terms of a permanent performance evaluation system for school leadership that factors in student achievement nearly 10 years after lawmakers first mandated performance contracts for principals.
read ... Principals Receive Raises
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Arbitration award aligns with DOE goals in raising the bar in school leadership
The decision, which affects DOE school principals and other educational officers, includes salary increases and establishes a Rewards and Recognition program.
News Release from Hawaii DoE April 23, 2014
An arbitration panel has issued an award for educational officers of the State of Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) who are members of the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) bargaining unit 06. The decision, announced April 21, affects DOE school principals and other educational officers.
"Our principals do tremendous work in leading their schools towards student and staff success, as seen in recent student achievement gains," said School Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. "We are pleased that the arbitration has concluded and we can move forward in supporting our educators to prepare students for college and careers."
"I want to thank all those who were involved in the various stages of the negotiation and arbitration process," added Matayoshi.
Major highlights of the arbitration award include:
- Annual across-the-board salary raises of 4.5 percent for four years, from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017.
- A 90-day vacation cap that is consistent with other 12-month educational officers and other 12-month employees.
- Establishes a rewards and recognition program (RRP) for the last two years. A joint committee of DOE and HGEA representatives led by an outside professional facilitator will determine how to best reward and recognize educational officers based on their performance evaluation rating. The details, criteria and procedures of the RRP will be decided through the committee’s work. The RRP will be able to distribute $200,000 for the 2015-2016 school year and $200,000 in 2016-2017.
In December 2012, HGEA and the DOE agreed to principal performance evaluations on a new Comprehensive Evaluation System for School Administrators (CESSA). These evaluations are being conducted in all 255 DOE public schools.
CESSA was designed to support and improve principal effectiveness, thereby boosting teacher and student performance. This is aligned with Goals 1 and 2 of the Department's Strategic Plan. The DOE and HGEA worked together to provide school principals with guidelines, training and support in advance of successful CESSA implementation in the 2013-14 school year.
The Hawaii State Department of Education is the ninth-largest U.S. school district and the only statewide educational system in the country. It is comprised of 255 schools and 33 charter schools, and serves more than 185,000 students. King Kamehameha III established Hawaii’s public school system in 1840. The DOE is in the midst of a range of historic efforts to transform its public education system to ensure graduates succeed in college or careers. To learn more, visit HawaiiPublicSchools.org.
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Arbitrators award pay raises to HGEA Bargaining Unit 6
News Release from HGEA April 21, 2014
A three-member arbitration panel has awarded pay raises to approximately 850 educational officers of Bargaining Unit 6.
The following is a summary of the decision:
- The award is for a four-year duration: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017
- Effective July 1, 2013: 4.5 percent pay increase
- Effective July 1, 2014: 4.5 percent pay increase
- Effective July 1, 2015: 4.5 percent pay increase
- Effective July 1, 2016: 4.5 percent pay increase
In addition, the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) health insurance premiums, which by law cannot be determined by an arbitration panel, was settled between the union and employer to mirror other HGEA bargaining unit agreements with 60 percent/40 percent employer/employee split retroactive to January 1, 2014.
The arbitration hearing took place during the following dates: Oct. 21–24, 2013,
Feb. 3–4, 2014, and March 17–20, 2014. The arbitration panel consisted of Irene Pu‘uohau, union representative; Annette Anderson, employer representative; and Richard N. Block, neutral arbitrator and chair of the arbitration panel.
“This arbitration decision provided an opportunity for both parties to present the facts of the situation in an objective way. Our educational officers, who have expanded duties, have a tremendous responsibility and often dedicate additional time and hours because of their deep commitment to our schools and children’s education,” said HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira. “As Mr. Block stated in his decision, ‘… this award is justified given the greater range of responsibilities of the members of BU 06.’
“I would like to commend our educational officers for their leadership and dedication every day in our public schools and for being an integral part in helping to move our education system forward for the future of Hawaii’s students, families and communities.”
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