The Hawaii State Teachers Association encourages all members to share your personal stories on how potential furloughs will affect you and your students before the Hawaii State Board of Education (BOE) holds its next meeting this Thursday, Dec. 17. View the agenda.
We want to inform board members about the impacts furloughs will have on our teachers. For example:
- How will furloughs affect you personally? Are you already struggling to pay your bills such as rent, mortgage, electricity, food, student loans, and/or college tuition for your children? Explain how furloughs will affect your ability to survive financially.
- Are you considering resigning if furloughs happen? Are you thinking of moving away from Hawaii? Taking another job? Do you know fellow teachers who are already resigning during winter break? How will these losses affect your students?
- Is another member in your family already out of work or dealing with reduced work hours because of the pandemic? Is your family surviving on your one income?
- Did your principal already inform your school that some positions will be eliminated next school year because of pending budget cuts? How will these position cuts affect your school and your students?
If you feel comfortable sharing your name, school, and testimony publicly, please email testimony.BOE@boe.hawaii.gov by noon on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Include the word “Testimony” in the subject line and at the top of the email, explain that you are testifying on general business meeting discussion item V.B: Presentation on questions regarding Department of Education furloughs, including furlough schedule, impact on school planning and services, communications with families and employees.
Please note, all testimony submitted to the BOE becomes public record and is posted on the board’s website. This may include your full name and the email address you used to send in your testimony.
If you are willing and available to testify live during Thursday afternoon’s meeting, please contact us here and we will be in touch with you to coordinate our public messages.
HSTA will live stream the BOE meeting this Thursday, Dec. 17, at 1:30 p.m. on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. These streams will be archived and available to view at your convenience.
Mahalo for all you do, and for being a member of HSTA.