Many teachers see the some value in a pilot evaluation program being tested by the DOE, but that doesn’t mean they feel like they’re being included in deliberations over exactly what the evaluation model should entail.

That’s according to recently published results of an HSTA survey that was sent to about 500 teachers at the 82 schools participating in the pilot program. 

How Hawaii’s teachers should be evaluated is an ongoing source of tension between the DOE and teachers’ union, which are currently in the heated process of negotiating a contract. The current contract expires in June.

The pilot program currently being implemented at the guinea pig schools is meant to reveal what works and what doesn’t. The results won’t count. 

The evolving evaluation system is based on four metrics, including surveys from students as young as 5-years-old — a component that has alarmed many educators. 

And results of the survey suggest that teachers in the pilot program don’t like the idea of being rated by their students, either. 

Here are some highlights from the HSTA survey:

• 92 percent of teachers said they were not asked to provide the DOE feedback on the student surveys
• 88 percent  don’t think the surveys should be used as part of their evaluations
• 80 percent said they were concerned that students don’t understand the questions
• 61 percent  weren’t given the survey questions in advance
• 80 percent said they didn’t think the survey results would help improve their teaching practice

See the full HSTA survey and its results here.

— Alia Wong