Poles apart on
public school teachers

Teachers, quit griping
about your cushy jobs!

With respect to Diane Chang's May 16 column, "Public schools are a sorry place to work," let's look at this from the public's point of view.

I haven't seen too many unemployed teachers, have you? They never face layoffs or downsizing.

There aren't too many jobs or professions that can be compressed into nine months. Teachers never have to face the main boss and its echelons like we do in the civilian force. Ben Cayetano never comes down with stern frowns or livid glares to criticize or admonish teachers, even through the chain of command.

Teachers really have it made. They vociferously rage when the classroom count goes over 30. That's idiotic. We should have classes with 60 kids in them.

Preposterous? Not really. The smart ones can be herded into classes that size. Three months after graduation, they enter college classes where auditoriums hold hundreds of students! Professors don't complain; why should teachers at the high school level?

Now, count your blessings before the legislators hear of this.

Jack G. Suga

Bake sales shouldn't fund
work at public schools

As a 1988 graduate of Kahuku High School, I applaud Diane Chang's May 16 column on the dismal conditions at many, if not all, of Hawaii's public schools.

Financial investments in the schools -- whether in the form of salary increases, physical facilities improvements, books or spider spray -- communicate to the students and teachers that they MATTER, that what is being accomplished in those schools is so important that the community is INVESTING in them.

My mother teaches at Hauula Elementary School. She specializes in teaching phonics and reading to multi-grade students who are slower in developing reading and writing (therefore, communication) skills.

I constantly hear about bake sales and bazaars which she and her co-workers sponsor, donate to and work at to earn money for materials and course supplies.

That's a terrible burden to put on those whose pay is already negligible -- but they love the kids, and make the sacrifices.

Thank you for emphasizing the plight of Hawaii public schools at a time when education is in the spotlight. I hope it brings actions from the public, as well as some major pondering on the subject.

Lisa D. Walker Dansie
(Via the Internet)

Thanks for supporting
women, moms, teachers

This is a long-overdue letter of gratitude. So many times I've hollered out, "Yes!" to no one in particular as I have digested Diane Chang's columns at the end of a frustrating or not-too-bad day.

"I have to tell her thank you," I'd think. When a few whiners would retort that she wasn't nice on the letters page, I had to chuckle. "I'll write her and say right on!"

Time went by and she wrote on behalf of women, mommies and public school teachers (not to mention many, many others and their worthy causes). "Mahalo! Mahalo! Mahalo!" from all three of me.

By enabling our voice, she's also speaking up for our keiki. They really are "our future" and we're a bit frightened by that thought.

Laurie Cruz
Public school teacher
Mililani

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Father Damien's statue
is right where it belongs

I was saddened by the attempt of View Point writer Peggy Hickok Hodge to belittle the memory of Father Damien, whose only fault seems to have been to work with, and to die with, the alienated and dispossessed Hawaiians of a bygone era.

The placing of Damien's statue in front of the state Capitol is, in fact, a great tribute to the discernment, perspicacity, awareness and understanding of the people of Hawaii and their legislators.

The location of this statue merely emphasizes that there is no nobler goal in human endeavor than to assist your fellow men and women by alleviating their suffering and comforting them in their distress, even to the extent of endangering their own lives.

C.A. Christian

Honolulu privatized without lawsuits

The Star-Bulletin's May 15 editorial on privatization ignores several key facts, and draws some erroneous conclusions.

First, Honolulu has more private contracts than the other three counties combined. Working within the provisions of our charter, we have been able to privatize our landfill and HPOWER facilities, among other services, without lawsuits -- in great part because we worked carefully with all parties to privatize in the right way.

The issues raised by the Supreme Court decision on the Kona landfill are serious, and deserve a quick response. I believe that the court's decision is a mistake, and that the Legislature needs to correct it through legislation.

The governor and I supported proposed legislation that would have given the counties a two-year reprieve from the court decision while a permanent solution was worked out with the courts and the unions.

The counties would have been allowed to continue with current private contracts, and even contract out additional services while the issue was resolved by the Legislature. Unfortunately, the neighbor island mayors opposed the bill, and sympathetic legislators killed the measure.

Jeremy Harris
Mayor
City and County of Honolulu

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Same-sex archive

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