Support emboldens teachers

By James Gonser and Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writers

The signs carried by striking teachers have begun to fray a little around the edges, but so far the spirits of the teachers walking the line have not. With the exception of one tiny school on the remote island of Ni'ihau, no public schools across the state have reopened since the Hawai'i State Teachers Association strike began April 5.

Students from Ma'ema'e Elementary School in Nu'uanu joined other picketers yesterday at the State Capitol. More than 12,000 public schoolteachers and 3,100 University of Hawai'i faculty members remain on strike. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We have had tremendous support from everyone," said Helen Edamura, a fifth-grade teacher and strike captain at Noelani Elementary in Manoa. "We rely on each other to keep our spirits up and our morale going and lots of honking, waving and community support."

Karolyn Mossman, a special education teacher at Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao and an HSTA official, said the strike is bringing teachers and principals together.

"Teachers are feeling closer to their principals than they've felt in a long time," she said. "In the end, this will prove to bring schools together like nothing else could."

However, some warn that problems are rare only because few teachers have crossed the picket lines.

Crossing the line

Washington Middle School Principal Marsha Alegre said problems could develop if enough teachers were to return to work and schools reopen.

"As long as the schools remain closed, the tensions aren't as bad, but I think the tensions will get worse if people need to cross because of personal reasons," Alegre said.

Angry picketers taunted 12 Campbell High teachers who broke ranks with their colleagues and showed up for work when the strike began — the highest number at any school in the state. If 14 were to cross over, Campbell could be opened to some students, splitting the strike open on O'ahu for the first time.

Two Ma'ili Elementary teachers also have crossed picket lines, causing tensions to rise.

More than 12,000 public school- teachers and 3,100 University of Hawai'i faculty members remain on the picket lines, and more than 226,000 public school students are staying home.

School principals and other staff are also union members, but with the Hawai'i Government Employees Association.

They are not eligible to strike because they have a collective bargaining agreement and binding arbitration. During two weeks in April and May 1994, the HGEA was on strike but schools remained open and teachers reported to class.

Across the state

Principals in the Maui District are treating their striking employees very well, according to Maui District Superintendent Gwen Ueoka.

"Most of us know that it would be like biting off our nose," Ueoka said. "It would not be wise to make (teachers) big-time unhappy, because once this is over we're going to have to come together and work as a team."

At Kihei Elementary School, Principal Alvin Shima said he wants to maintain a good relationship with teachers.

"I chose not to be adversarial," said Shima, who has been at the school for only a year. Shima visits the picket line often, sometimes bringing refreshments. At the end of the day, he helps the teachers pack up. He told them they could park on campus and use the restrooms.

"I was a high school business teacher, so I understand their plight," Shima said.

At Puohala Elementary School in Kane'ohe, principal Ruth Silberstein said the school building is open to strikers, but striking union members will not go on campus. Nevertheless, Silberstein said, relationships are good and everyone is respecting each other's positions.

"We're supportive of both sides," she said. "We see the human dignity in all aspects of life."

Mossman at Kalama Intermediate said she's motivated that the strike is a temporary situation. "This too shall pass," she said. But she also said teachers are convinced their cause is just.

Mossman said Gov. Ben Cayetano has provided plenty of inspiration, too. "He set us up. He makes it easy for us."

On Kaua'i, teacher-principal relations are generally excellent, said HSTA agent Tom Perry.

"There's not a principal on the island who's not doing good things for the teachers. Some are bringing food and even ice cream. It has made the faculties stronger," Perry said.

Principal Maggie Cox, of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, agreed. She said many of the teachers at her school, which opened in the fall of 2000, did not know each other before the strike. Now they have gotten acquainted.

The school's student activities coordinator, Pohaku Nishimitsu, who serves as picket captain, said the strikers have concerns about union teachers crossing the picket lines, but not about nonteachers.

"We have good relations with our administration. We're not fighting them. That's not who the battle is with. We have real strong support from them. We all want it to end," Nishimitsu said.

Helping hands

Lynne Johnson, a third-grade teacher at Aikahi Elementary on O'ahu, said 100 percent of the teachers are on the picket line. Strikers have even started calling principal Roberta Tokumaru "mom" because she brings them coffee, juice and sometimes lunch.

"I look at the news and I see all these other schools fighting with their administrators and the whole thing going on and it makes me really sad because we look at our school and the teachers were so touched, a lot of us were in tears because here the administrators had to close their schools but they're out here and they're talking with us and giving us encouragement," Johnson said.

At Puohala, businesses and area residents have shown their support and the cafeteria staff has brought strikers food, coffee, water and ice. Some bring snacks, others have brought lunch, said Debby Yasuda, picket co-captain.

"They give us a hug every day," Yasuda said.

In the final analysis, everyone knows that the "strike is not between the teachers and school administration, it is the whole system," said Noelani Elementary Principal Clayton Fujie.

During the strike, "my goal is to maintain the high level of trust among all the people associated with our school," he said. "We are all here for one purpose — it doesn't matter who we are or what union we are in — and that is the education of our kids."

Staff writers Eloise Aguiar, Jan TenBruggencate and Alice Keesing contributed to this report.