Hawaii school year threatens to end

HONOLULU (AP) – As children in other states enjoy year-end field trips or prepare for proms and graduation, Hawaii’s 220,000 public school and college students are watching their school year fall apart in bitter statewide teacher strikes.

Negotiations to settle the separate walkouts by public school teachers and University of Hawaii professors have dragged on 13 days.

Teachers and professors are demanding pay raises that meet Hawaii’s cost of living, something the governor says the state can’t afford.

The labor actions are the first ever to shut down all public education in a state, and have prompted a federal judge to threaten to take control of the schools.

“As you know, you are making history,” Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association, told more than 2,000 educators at a unity rally Monday.

“You are their teachers, guardian angels, social workers and sometimes their parents,” Chase said. “And this is the thanks you get? Of course you’re frustrated and angry and you have every right to be.”

The April 5 walkouts by 13,000 members of Hawaii State Teachers Association and 3,100 members of the 10-campus University of Hawaii’s professional assembly have closed classrooms to 180,000 children and 40,000 college students.

U.S. District Judge David Ezra says he might intervene if the teachers strike isn’t resolved by the end of the week. He is concerned about state compliance with a consent decree that mandates health and education services for children with behavioral problems.

Gov. Ben Cayetano says federal intervention is unnecessary.

“This is a sovereign state. The federal government should stay out of these things as much as possible,” Cayetano said. “I understand his concern about special education, but we’re not the ones who went on strike. We’re doing everything we can to try and service those children.”

The school teachers and the state met for more than six hours Monday and were to resume talks Wednesday, prolonging the strike at least two more days. The professor’s assembly was to return to the bargaining table Tuesday.

Teachers are losing money. Students may be enjoying their seemingly endless vacation, but many are worrying about the cloud hanging over sports seasons, graduation ceremonies, college admissions, academic progress and the summer job hunt.

Cayetano said the state is concerned about students missing so much school.

The governor insists the state can’t afford the raises being sought. Teachers say he’s holding back funds.

Teachers want pay raises totaling 22 percent in a four-year contract, retroactive to July 1999, while the state’s latest offer was a 14 percent increase over two years.

University faculty members are seeking a 12 percent pay raise over two years, plus 0.5 percent in possible merit increases each year. The state has offered a 9 percent increase plus a possible 2 percent merit hike over two years.

The requests come as the state is emerging cautiously from a nine-year economic slump and its higher education system is under siege.

On Monday, the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Hawaii 34th among the 50 states in overall academic achievement.

Hawaii’s average teacher’s salary of $41,547 was $912 less than the national average. Teachers argue they should earn more because living costs on the islands are between 20 percent and 30 percent higher than on the U.S. mainland.