Kamehameha School to Test Merit Pay for Teachers
This Fall, Kam Schools will begin a merit-based pay program with the long-term goal of phasing in the system throughout all the campuses.
According to Honolulu Advertiser, "Officials said they hope the new system, which will reward teachers and administrators for setting and attaining professional goals, will help Kamehameha attract new educators. Dubbed Ka Pi'ina, meaning to ascend, officials also say the system will help retain young educators, who often leave the profession after less than five years.
"While the program will ultimately reward teachers through incentives and pay increases, next year's pilot program will be conducted using "virtual pay." Participants will see simulations of changes that may occur to their pay through a virtual system, which will allow the school to work out any kinks during the test.
The traditional pay scale takes teachers years to move up to the higher grades. Rod Chamberlain, VP for Campus Strategies, said merit pay should supplant the traditional pay scale, which uses degrees and years of service.
Once the results of the test are compiled, officials will consider how best to implement the program throughout Kamehameha Schools. And once implemented, Kamehameha would join Maryknoll School as the only education institutions in Hawai'i using merit-based pay programs.
About 100 staff members from Kamehameha Schools will participate in a pilot project of its new merit-based pay program.
Read more at the Honolulu Advertiser. This is a big change in the education field for both Kam and Maryknoll Schools.