Half of our teachers to leave?

[pzarquon]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

The news of the raise has brightened the day of the many teachers in my family. Actually, it's not the raise that's warming their hearts as much as the adjustment to medical insurance deductibles. Starting pay moves to $39k, I think, which will also hopefully spur recruitment (much as I respect the lifelong teachers in the system, new blood is desperately needed in all corners).

I imagine the news won't change their lives, but it just makes the prospects of remaining a teacher for a decade or more a slightly less intimidating thought.

[Miulang]

Hawaii teachers get $1k less than Mainland

Small wonder that the retention and attrition rates for Hawai'i teachers is so abysmal: on top of having the ridiculously high cost of living, Hawai'i teachers make about $1,000 less per year than the national average. That's why a lot of teachers also have to take part time jobs and why the burnout rate is so high.

Miulang

[Menehune Man]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

Education of the next generations is of utmost importance. Ever since I was in school (Grad. '79), the polititians have said "we" will do better. Why then are the budgets cut again and again? I feel the public school system has failed in getting better. The teachers need to be paid properly. School scholastic curriculums need to be brought up to par. And all the while our taxes have been going to Koa benches (remember them?) and beautification projects. Why don't they do what they say they will? I don't have any kids in school any more but it is still important to me. I'd run for govenor but they'd dig up things from many years ago that would ruin my chances.

[Pedro]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

Hey Buddy I would vote you. GO BUDDY CAMPAIGN! I hope that we do beef up our education system and get the teachers better pay. Why is the Bus Drivers making more money than the teachers? I thought when you get a bachelors degree it means you get more pay. I guess I thought wrong.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

Regarding what politicians say about education, one of my kids (now 21) sent then Governor Ben Cayatano a letter while he was going to Hokulani Elementary School on Oahu. He asked Ben to please follow thru with his rhetoric about making education his top priority for the sake of the children of Hawaii.

He actually got a letter back from Ben's office saying that, "I promise I will try to reform education" Boy talk about a perfect political response to a child. I had to explain to my boy that Governor Cayatano only promised to "try" to reform education. That doesn't mean he will try hard or even succeed! He will just "try" to fix it.

I've been on school boards and charter school boards and can attest that the biggest problem with our educational system in Hawaii is our centralized educational system (the only one in the nation). We've got board members who haven't a clue as to childhood development making the decisions for our teachers and principals who do know what's going on with our keiki but are powerless to do anything about it!

So where's the answers? The Bus drivers make a good salary because they have a strong union! Union leadership that stands behind it's members and fights the beauracracy that is their boss. The HSTA in my eyes is a weak union that cannot even give it's members a decent wage much less fight for better classroom conditions and supplies.

The teachers are paying big bucks for their union leadership to negotiate for them and yet they still have to pay out of their own pockets for school supplies. If you ask me it's time to get another union leader that can lobby for the teachers effectively.

[Sassmo]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

More money into schools = better education for students = Long-term economic growth

It's surprising to me that we're still having this discussion. These statistics have been available for several years and nobody has acted on them. You'd think that a state that's floundering in the education department, is continually complaining about "brain drain" and its reliance on tourism would realize that dumping money into schools would be the best thing for this state.
Below I posted four different links citing studies to prove it. I also remember about a year or two ago one of the local papers ran a story about it.

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/relea...schweke-pr.pdf

http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_204.html

http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=...1&ID2=DO_TOPIC

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/economic.htm

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Half of our teachers to leave?

I'd like to know when the teachers raises will start to take place. I was told the first paycheck in July which is the beginning of the new fiscal year. Well no raise so far.

Can anyone tell me when these raises the Governor and the HSTA agreed upon actually take place or was it simply a smokescreen and the salaries stay the same or decrease to offset the cost of the rising medical insurance costs we have.

KalihiBoy