Raise education performance, then wages
I assume we all are in favor of seeing Hawaii’s teachers being paid a proper salary for just being teachers. But shouldn’t there be some accountability from both the teachers themselves and from their union as a whole?
In other words, if we the citizen pay teachers a substantial wage shouldn’t they, as a whole, be held to a higher standard. Year after year it seems we read where Hawaii is at the bottom of the list in education compared to the rest of the nation. What would Hawaii gain by paying teachers more money when these same teachers and their union cannot seem to raise Hawaii’s school standards. There has got to be a “quid pro quo” (something for something) in this like, “if you teachers raise Hawaii’s schools to a higher national standard, we the people will pay you substantially higher wages.”
As it is, all we read is “that the teachers union would propose a new way of raising additional money for education. It would authorize a substantial surcharge on real property to fund education” (quote Tom Yamachika, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, March 12, WHT).
Aren’t we sick of hearing nothing but how the state and the counties would have us pay more and higher taxes? It all really is very tiring and a very bad joke. Raise the standard of Hawaii schools and you teachers would deserve an increase in your wages and if you don’t — suck wind! I just hope the state is able to find willing and able teachers to replace those who are incompetent. After all, couldn’t it be said that you as teachers are tenured?
Hugo von Platen Luder
Holualoa