Decision deferred on $10K pay raise for schools superintendent

Esme M. Infante, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Updated ·3 min read

Dec. 8—A proposal to the salary of state schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi by $10, 000, to $250, 000, was held back in a state Board of Education committee Thursday, but a separate proposal to expand the criteria used to evaluate him was amended and approved.

A proposal to the salary of state schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi by $10, 000, to $250, 000, was held back in a state Board of Education committee Thursday, but a separate proposal to expand the criteria used to evaluate him was amended and approved.

The DOE's 15 complex ­-area superintendents submitted a group letter testifying that Hayashi deserved a raise in line with the 4.6 % pay adjustment that many DOE administrators received in July.

Hayashi "has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, innovative thinking, and a tireless commitment to the success and well-being of our students and staff, " they wrote, citing "improvements in student achievement, increased community engagement, and enhanced morale among staff members " under his lead.

But some board members and members of the public have said it isn't the right time or circumstances for such a raise, especially given the deep budget cuts that the DOE suffered in the past state Legislature and are expected again next session.

Hayashi's current salary of $240, 000 under his three-year contract already surpasses those of many top state officials, including the governor's salary, reported at $165, 048 in 2021 by the Council of State Governments. It also well outpaces the average Hawaii public school teacher's salary of $73, 319. But it lags behind the national average salary for superintendents of school districts with 100, 000 or more students, which is $297, 500.

The Human Resources committee of the BOE, meanwhile, pushed through an amended proposal to revise how Hayashi's performance will be measured when he is up again for his annual evaluation in August.

Part 1 of the evaluation still would focus on professional standards—titled "Visionary Leadership and Organizational Culture, " "Operations, Resource and Personnel Management, " "Strategic Alignment and Policy Implementation, " "Communication and Community Relations " and "Equity Advocacy."

But Part 2 of the evaluation, which focuses on customized "targeted goals " for the school year, was amended to include a focus on implementing the board's Strategic Plan for the public schools, with its three priorities, "High Quality Learning for All, " "High Quality Educator Workforce in All Schools " and "Effective and Efficient Operations at All Levels."

Another change added some transparency to the evaluation process, including amended language that the board "publicly discusses and comes to consensus on the end-of-year evaluation ratings for the Superintendent Professional Standards and Targeted Goals. The Board publicly discusses with the superintendent its final evaluation findings."

Tanaka 'separated' from the DOE In an unrelated development, Randy Tanaka, a longtime DOE administrator who oversaw several key operations for Hawaii public schools—including construction and repair of facilities, food services, transportation and security, including active-shooter prevention—was "separated from the department " Wednesday, a department spokesperson confirmed.

Tanaka had been assistant superintendent for the DOE's Office of Facilities and Operations since 2020. Prior to that role, he served as deputy director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

DOE Communications Director Nanea Kalani said she could not provide details about Tanaka's dismissal, because it was a personnel matter. She said she could confirm only that Tanaka's position was "an at-will appointment who served at the pleasure of the superintendent."