Teachers want more pay,
not better school system

The latest public statement made by the Hawaii State Teachers Association urging its members to prepare themselves to strike clearly demonstrates that teachers are more concerned about salary increases than the improvement of the public school system.

Increasing the pay of teachers will not necessarily improve the quality of education, because other factors are involved.

The latest listing of teacher salaries nationwide should be published for a proper perspective to see if, in fact, our teachers are among the most poorly paid.

In these days of budgetary constraints, priorities must be carefully established for the use of allotted funds, priorities which directly address the needs of the students.

Future increases in teachers' salaries should be made contingent on the rise (or fall) of SAT scores. In this way, we can clearly see whether a salary increase was merited or not.

Lloyd Y.S. Kim

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Teachers deserve raise
because of dedication

Hawaii's teachers, as a whole, are among the most educated in the nation. Here is a special group of people who devote several years for a degree, spend several thousands of dollars accomplishing that and, as the Department of Education changes its curriculum philosophies, continue to spend many hours, weekends, summer and more dollars to expand their knowledge and expertise.

They also spend many hours during their breaks and beyond their work day to advise and support students at conferences and school-related activities. Much of this is done without compensation to provide challenging opportunities for young people.

Yet we frequently fail to treat them as professionals and provide not just adequate but the best tools, facilities, budget and compensation.

Parents, the community and school personnel are all responsible for the future of these valuable resources. Quality education requires quality staff, facilities, materials, partnerships. Let's keep these in sight as teachers ask for a fair and equitable settlement.

Lillian Takemura
Librarian, Waiakea Elementary
Hilo, Hawaii

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The new ‘lunas’ in Hawaii
have a name: Democrats

I was a junior in high school during the three-month 1958 sugar strike. I remember the whole community working together in the victory gardens and assisting at the community soup kitchen.

I also remember my step-father in 1988, speaking of his dad during the 1930s and '40s and recalling the plantation luna, riding on his horse past the workers as they bowed to him before the start and at the end of each workday.

Today, I have opened my eyes and looked around and I also see the "new" plantation that letter writer Jean Toyama sees (Dec. 18). The roles are reversed, because it is the Democrats who we must bow to in respect and intimidation.

It is the Democrats we must thank for providing us jobs and the privilege to live in Hawaii. Today, the new lunas that supervise and manage the new plantation are the Democrats.

James I. Kuroiwa Jr.

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Rejection of HSEC
shows reality of sovereignty

The recent fiasco at the Oahu gathering of the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council evinces a clear need to educate the Hawaiian elite about real politics in the Hawaiian community.

Their election was repudiated, their Con Con proposal was trashed, and they stand exposed as the representatives of nobody in particular.

They certainly don't represent the taro roots, where an entirely different attitude toward self-determination prevails.

If the elite asked the taro roots who their "leaders" are, they would likely rediscover that true leadership is defined in practice.

The best line heard in the taro roots is this, "Take off your hats everybody! Go back to your ahupua'a and let the ohana tell us who the leaders are."

Ken Ka'imi Stokes
Waipouli, Hawaii
(Via the Internet)

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