Island Voices
House targeting principals

By Brian Schatz
Democrat who represents the 24th District (Makiki, Tantalus)

Ten years of deep budget cuts have left most Hawai‘i departments in sore need of resources, personnel and enthusiasm.

We also face global competition as we try to attract and retain our best and brightest in public service. In no area is the need for excellent personnel more vital than in the Department of Education.

Research shows that the success of a school is critically dependent on its principal. In fact, the single best predictor of school success is the quality of that individual. This makes the coming principal shortage of substantial concern.

Up to two-thirds of all DOE principals are likely to retire in the next five years. Although recent test scores show progress, presumably from the new emphasis on accountability and an improvement in resources, the mass retirement of experienced personnel threatens further sustained progress.

How will we replace them?

Over the decades, Hawai‘i has evolved a thorny matrix of rules, laws and collective-bargaining agreements that negatively affect the ability of bright and otherwise qualified persons from becoming a principal. The length of time in service seems to be the only important qualification.

In sum, we have an overly protectionist employment scheme that, combined with low pay, makes replacement of these critical staff difficult.

Last year, the Legislature made an important start by making it easier for outside talent to enter the DOE as principals. This year, the state House will push for higher pay, incentives for performance and alternatives to the prickly and shortsighted process currently in place.

Presently, educational officers are able to transfer to a position that is essentially clerical in nature, while retaining the pay of a school executive, and this contributes to our leadership shortage.

To fix this, we are pushing a measure to re-establish a system of paying principals based not on their number of years of tenure, but on their actual duties. This will provide a financial incentive for school leaders to stay in the front lines and not move behind a desk.

Hawai‘i principals are among the lowest paid in the nation, and they are provided no financial reward for their success. To address this problem, House Bill 343 would provide financial bonuses to principals for school improvement.

Additionally, while we need hundreds of new school leaders, the system continues to discourage new potential educational officers from entering the system by setting the bar unrealistically high for those with school experience to enter school administration. The House is moving a measure that will make it easier for those with leadership experience outside the educational arena to serve as a school administrator.

The goal is to attract and retain new, excellent leaders in education, and to keep progress in the school system on track.

[back to top]