Hawaii Teachers Vote A Stunning Blow For Race to the Top

The overwhelming vote against a new 6-year contract by Hawaii teachers raises questions about whether the state will be able to fulfill its Race to the Top promises.

The federal Department of Education had placed the state on “high risk” status, the only Race to the Top state to receive that dubious distinction. The tentative deal stemmed from an urgency to address concerns raised by the federal government about failure to make progress on key areas including annual evaluations and performance pay for teachers. 

But 67 percent of teachers said forget it, the deal doesn’t cut it, despite the unanimous endorsement of the agreement by their leadership.

Read Education reporter Katherine Poythress’ story.