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No one should be surprised that the leader of the Maui teachers would write an article expressing concern about Hawaii teachers' salaries just as the state Legislature is starting their 2017 session (Viewpoint, Jan. 19). And I agree that teachers in Hawaii are rather seriously underpaid and work often as indentured servants for the DOE. Items such as old buildings, no a/c, inadequate supplies and so on.
But couldn't we expect better statistics from a union leader and a certified teacher? Three areas in particular stand out to me. First, do we now in January have a shortage of 1,600 certified teachers? That number does not seem to match current information from the DOE. And second, I quote from the second paragraph: "That assumption might be dependable for parents sending their kids to an expensive private school, like most state government officials do." After considerable searching, nowhere could I find any proof of that statement regarding state officials.
And last is the statement of replacing all of the supposed nonteachers with certified teachers would mean that all the rest of the existing teachers would get a raise. It would not create extra funds nor would it stop the certified from leaving.
Facts please -- not assumptions.
L. David Taylor
Kahului