Teacher pay should reflect Hawaii’s high cost of living
Hawaii is the No. 1 most expensive state in the U.S. to live in. No. 2 is Washington, D.C.; No. 3 is New York; No. 4 California; and No. 5 New Jersey. Yet the average teacher pay in New York is $81,902; California is $79,128; Washington, D.C is $75,692; New Jersey is $69,623 while Hawaii is only $56,651. That’s $25,251 (more than 30 percent) less than New York.
No wonder our state Department of Education is facing a critical teacher shortage. Isn’t it time our state legislators and our governor face the reality that this problem needs to be solved? Our children are our most valuable resource! Teachers, get some guts and strike till you’re treated fairly.
Michael McCormick
Kihei