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View Point
MORE than a year ago, my husband and I sold everything, packed up our home in Washington state and moved with our three children to Maui, where my husband would continue in his lifetime passion of teaching. State is mistreating
special-ed teachersFrank has 26 years of classroom experience at the high school level, 17 years as a Social Studies teacher and nine years in special education. He came to Hawaii with special education credentials in both Washington and Alaska, in addition to a counseling credential in Alaska.
Yet none of these credentials was recognized in Hawaii. None of his years of experience was accepted for placement on the salary scale. None of his educational work of bachelor of arts plus 75 credits was accepted.
He is a thesis short of a master's degree in special education. His salary for his first year of service was under $34,000 annually, essentially qualifying our children for the federal free lunch program.
This breaks down to $2,833 a month based on the fact that the Department of Education pays teachers their contracted amount over a 12-month period. Where else could a person complete a contract and have their employer withhold his or her pay for three months?
He did not receive any retirement credits because he had not completed the praxis required by DOE. He had no medical benefits because we could not afford to pay our portion of the premiums. Thankfully, we have other insurance.
During the school year, he successfully completed the praxis in two areas, social studies and special education, becoming one of a handful of fully certified special education teachers in his complex.
Recently, however, it was announced that the DOE has hired a private organization to recruit and contract with special education teachers from the mainland. This is in response to a contempt order handed down in June by the federal court.
These new mainland teachers will be offered a combined wage, incentive and relocation package valued at approximately $100,000 a year. Unfortunately, nothing is being done to improve working conditions for the hundreds of special education teachers currently under contract with the DOE.
My husband was welcomed to his school when he was handed a key to a classroom that had a teacher's desk, three student desks and a white board. He was also told that he would share that classroom with another special education teacher who would be teaching a different group of students.
More than 20 children in one classroom, two separate classes going on at one time, with no desks, no way to separate the two classes.
The day before school began, my husband was begging other teachers for spare desks and supplies. His roommate, a brand new teacher, was doing the same. The administration did little to accommodate even these basic needs.
It's no wonder the federal court deemed the state to be in contempt. It was a contemptuous situation!
GOVERNOR Cayetano has said there is no money for salary increases for teachers. This is not true. His plan is to spend projected surplus revenues for new computers.
Who is going to teach our children to use the computers, to design curriculum for use on the computers, to stand next to our kids and encourage them?
I challenge the people of Hawaii to call, email and write Governor Cayetano. Tell him to provide for current residents before spending money to bring in folks from the mainland, who may not even stay.
We must support local teachers and build a solid foundation based on respect and professional treatment of all educators. To offer the roof to new hires when the foundation is shaky makes no sense.
Today, my husband said good-bye to 26-plus years as a public school educator. He is one of those who has decided it's time to move on. How many others will follow?
Robin Parker is a resident of Makawao, Maui.