Gov. David Ige has talked a good line about his commitment to improving education, but when it has come to teacher contract negotiations his current stance appears to be “talk to the hand.”

The state’s chief negotiator and the Board of Education chairperson, key members of the state negotiations team, failed to show up at the most recent contract talks. This has been a continuing pattern, which disrespects the bargaining process and makes it extremely difficult to engage in meaningful discussions toward settling the teachers’ contract. Even noncost items cannot be agreed to if those key members of the state’s team aren’t in the room.

That is not sitting well with the rank and file of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Many of the union’s members frequently turned out on short notice to sign-wave for Ige and otherwise make the impossible possible in defeating Neil Abercrombie’s re-election bid.

Having been railroaded by a succession of “education governors,” they did so because they believed Ige’s oft-stated commitment to education. Now, teachers are casting suspicious eyes at what is seen as stalling tactics by the state’s current negotiators.

This is a jarring contradiction to the sense of optimism and urgency created by the task force created by Ige for “Hawaii’s Blueprint for Education.”

Consider this quote taken from the governor’s own website: “Suppose the governor’s office asked you to be part of a team to help transform public education in Hawai’i. There would be no pay, you’d have to go to dozens of meetings and give up a large chunk of your free time to talk to people across the state about improving our schools. Would you do it?

“Last June, 20 people from major stakeholder groups said yes, and they’ve been meeting ever since to produce a ‘blueprint’ vision for what Hawai’i schools could be. This team includes current Department of Education (DOE) officials, students, teachers, principals, parents, legislators and community members.”

Literally thousands attended the meetings that resulted in a document meant to guide public education out of the quagmire it is in currently.

Yet, the handful of state negotiators needed at the table have shined the union and DOE. How does this jibe with state no-shows when it has come to negotiating the teachers’ contract? It appears that the state has not been prioritizing bargaining.

In fact, the only communication with the state thus far has been its initial offering of a one-time bonus of 1 percent, which on the average is equal to about $550. With health premiums slated to increase by an average $830 a year for our members, their take-home pay would decrease under this proposal. Can it be any wonder that teachers consider the proposal a slap in the face?

It is not just about teacher salaries, either. The union is proposing ways to increase public education funding, including solutions to reduce the teacher shortage crisis. HSTA contract proposals address the most vulnerable students’ needs including those with special needs and English language learners. Language to address the need for lower class sizes is also at stake. Of course, the current evaluation system, despised by the vast majority of teachers, is also a critical bargaining point.

The window for settling a contract is shrinking. The Legislature will need to vote on funding a settlement before it adjourns in early May. The last negotiating session began and ended Feb. 23. HSTA is scheduled to meet with the state again on March 23. Will the state make settling its contract with teachers a priority? Hawaii’s public teachers are restless.

* Alan Isbell is president of the Maui Chapter, Hawaii State Teachers Association. He is a 4th-grade teacher at Wailuku Elementary School.