Teaching recruit describes frustrations to board

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

Lorie Heft remembers how Department of Education recruiters nearly fell over themselves persuading her to leave Pennsylvania to come and work in Hawai'i.

Heft signed her contract on the day the teacher strike ended and has been a counselor at Pearl City High School for just over a month. Last night she told the Board of Education that she is considering quitting because of the department's "broken promises" and a paycheck that is $5,000 less than what she was told it would be.

Heft was one of about 40 teachers who attended the board's meeting at Pearl City High School last night, asking board members to "step up to the plate" and support implementation of their contract. They also asked the board to address the overload in the department's personnel division that is resulting in situations such as Heft's.

Heft has a master's degree but the department is paying her at a lower instructor's rate because they say they don't have her education transcripts. Heft hand-delivered them to personnel staff when she arrived in Hawai'i. They have repeatedly told her they have them and will adjust her pay — but nothing has happened.

After being wooed to Hawai'i, Heft is angry and having trouble making ends meet.

"I have no car," she said. "I sleep on an air mattress. I have less than $100 in my checking account after I've paid the rent, bills and food. The financial part I can get over, but it's the fact that they say one thing and then do another."

The department is facing its worst teacher shortage in years with about 400 vacancies, and Hawai'i State Teachers Association Vice President Joan Lewis said the state cannot end the shortage if it does not look after the teachers it has.

"For years, the HSTA has warned about an impending teacher shortage," she said. "We did our best to make the profession inviting, we did out best to provide incentives and rewards for those already in the system to stay. We were treated like Chicken Little squawking about the sky falling. But now you have finally acknowledged what we predicted. We are in the midst of a teacher shortage so severe that the superintendent had to go on television and beg for people to apply."

Schools chief Paul LeMahieu, acknowledging the seriousness of the concerns, said he would personally ensure that Heft's situation would be resolved.

Others who testified last night told the board that students are suffering because the shortage means they have a string of substitute teachers.

After hearing the testimony, board members urged LeMahieu to produce a plan.

"I get phone calls, I get e-mail, and I'm getting tired of hearing the same old thing and I think the department has really got to shape up and help our people coming in," said board Chairman Herb Watanabe.

Watanabe also told teachers that about five weeks ago the board adopted the position — although not publicly — that the teachers contract should be implemented, although without the professional bonus that is in dispute.

Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved raising the state librarian's pay to $108,000. Board member Winston Sakurai, said that while he could not argue with the recommendation to increase the librarian's salary, "it's sad that we have a teacher contract and we haven't been able to give them their pay raises as well."

"If we had the authority to give raises to the teachers, we'd do it right now," added Sakurai, who serves on the state's negotiations committee.

Reach Alice Keesing at akeesing@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.