Substitute teachers
denounce 7% cut in pay
A letter dated Oct. 8 to 3,900
DOE subs neglected to
explain the $8.39 reduction
Substitute teachers say the state Department of Education is unfairly cutting their pay 7 percent effective Nov. 1.
"It's a continuing effort of the Department of Education to cheat the substitutes out of the pay to which they are legally entitled," said Paul Alston, one of the attorneys representing substitute teachers.
A letter dated Oct. 8 was sent to 3,900 substitutes saying they will be paid $111.41 a day, $8.39 less than their current pay of $119.80.
"The Board of Education and Hawaii State Teachers Association negotiated a new salary schedule on Oct. 4. The per diem rate for substitute teachers is affected by the new salary schedule," the letter stated.
Alston, who represents substitute teachers in a class-action lawsuit that contends the DOE owes them millions in back pay, will ask a Circuit Court judge to block the Department of Education from carrying out the pay cut.
According to a court document, a memorandum of understanding was reached between the state, Board of Education and Hawaii State Teachers Association on Oct. 4.
"Because of the ongoing litigation, we can't go into a lot of detail," said Greg Knudsen, spokesman for the Department of Education.
Joan Husted, executive director of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Deputy Attorney General James Halvorson of the Employment Law Division could not be reached for comment.
Alston said the department is taking a position that it can underpay the substitutes, as they are not represented by the HSTA and have no organized voice.
Substitute teacher Lara Wilcox said she did not hear about the pay reduction before she received the letter.
"I had to read it a few times. I couldn't believe it," said Wilcox.
Wilcox and other substitute teachers said the letter did not give a clear explanation of the pay reduction. "There's no reasoning for the pay decrease in the letter," said Wilcox.
Some substitute teachers said they feel like they are being taken for granted by the Department of Education.
"The kids deserve to have qualified, substitute teachers, and they are not paying us what qualified teachers deserve," said Wilcox. "It's not in line with what the full-time teachers are making."
"We feel like we're being used and abused by the DOE," said substitute teacher Janine Tannehill.
Some substitutes said their colleagues want to quit because of the pay reduction.
"Something like this is going to cause the substitutes to seek other employment," said substitute teacher Genny Chang. "We already have a substitute shortage. I anticipate a larger shortage."
Attorneys will return to court on Dec. 6 before Circuit Judge Karen Ahn, who had requested further briefings on contractual claims by substitute teachers. Substitutes say they should be getting paid $150 per day. The state had contended that they are getting paid the correct amount at $119.80.
"I think it's absurd," said substitute teacher David Garner. "I think it's the biggest slap in the face that the DOE has ever done to us. It shows a total lack of respect and appreciation for what we do."
"The teachers' salary did not go down. They're only manipulating the wording in the classification in order to give us a pay cut," he said.
