UPDATE: Hawaii State Teachers Association members rejected the proposed contract on Jan. 19. Please view Superintendent Matayoshi's post-ratification video message.

Hawaii and the state’s public school teachers' union have reached an initial agreement to support educators in transforming public education.

“Our focus remains on working together to ensure Hawaii will secure its Race to the Top grant, which lays the foundation for transforming student learning,” Governor Neil Abercrombie announced on Jan. 6, 2012, in a joint statement with Hawaii State Board of Education Chairman Don Horner and Hawaii State Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.

“We recognize that teaching is a profession that guides student achievement and we are committed to making the necessary changes in providing the best learning environment for teachers who excel in the classroom.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Education placed Hawaii’s Race to the Top grant on high-risk status and specifically pointed to the ongoing delays in finalizing master and supplemental contracts between the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the state as impeding the state’s ability to demonstrate adequate progress in implementing its grant plan.