KAPA‘A — Nearly two dozen teachers from Kapa‘a Middle School joined the state’s growing crowd of frustrated teachers Tuesday morning. Tom Perry, the Kaua‘i representative for the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association, said teachers at Kalaheo Elementary School also planned to
KAPA‘A — Nearly two dozen teachers from Kapa‘a Middle School joined the state’s growing crowd of frustrated teachers Tuesday morning.
Tom Perry, the Kaua‘i representative for the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association, said teachers at Kalaheo Elementary School also planned to do a sign-waving campaign over the lack of a contract for the teachers.
“I dropped off a supply of signs and supplies Monday afternoon because I knew I would be at Kapa‘a,” Perry said. “Kapa‘a Middle School is closer to where I live.”
Taking to the sidewalk fronting the school campus in the crisp morning air, the teachers were met with waves and honks of support from the almost nonstop stream of traffic making its way down Olohena Road.
The rally to bring attention to the teachers’ plight is the latest on Kaua‘i. In the past three weeks, teachers from Elsie Wilcox and King Kaumuali‘i elementary schools also took to the streets to raise awareness among parents, students and community members.
Perry said Tuesday’s sign waving in Kapa‘a and Kalaheo was limited to the morning because HSTA was having a meeting in the afternoon followed by an reception at which approximately 30 representatives of the different schools would have an opportunity to meet with the Kaua‘i legislative team.
A news story posted on the KITV website Tuesday afternoon states public teacher protests growing across the state may be in violation of their contract.
The story is based on the “Work to Rules” campaign which started at Campbell High School on O‘ahu in November and spread quickly to other schools around the state.
In late November, teachers from more than 40 schools joined the second “Work to Rules” protest, expressing their frustration with their current contract status and negotiations for a new contract.
Wil Okabe, the HSTA president, joined the crowd at Farrington High School that day, stating in a Hawai‘i News Now report that teachers feel a lack of respect from the state — and especially from Gov. Neil Abercrombie who received the union’s endorsement in the last election.
“Teachers went out to sign wave, phone bank and all these things to get him elected because we felt that what he said was putting education as a priority in the State of Hawai‘i, for the kids of Hawai‘i,” Okabe said in the report.
The state Department of Education told KITV Tuesday that the language in the current contract, in some cases, requires teachers to fulfill assigned duties such as coaching or A-Plus programs.
The DOE also said officials have been receiving anonymous calls from teachers saying they are being pressured to make signs, T-shirts and participate in the “Work to Rules” protests.
Kaua‘i’s sign waving rallies have been dotted with predominantly HSTA-supplied materials including signs and T-shirts, although at King Kaumuali‘i, the husband of a teacher volunteered to print up special “protest” T-shirts for the teachers. Homemade signs also appeared at the rallies, but were outnumbered by the HSTA-provided signs.
DOE Board Member Jim Williams, in the KITV report, said extracurricular activities (such as extracurricular clubs, preparing lessons, meeting with parents, etc.) are being considered as part of the current contract negotiations.
The teachers union and state are set to resume collective bargaining today. The state has urged HSTA to continue the talks throughout the week.
Visit www.contractforthefuture.org or www.hsta.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
