Sarah Tochiki is the band director at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in Lihue, and HSTA Kauai Chapter vice president. She wrote the following message to Gov. David Ige after learning of his potential plans to cut salaries by 20 percent for educators and other public employees in the state.
Dear Governor David Ige,
In 2018, I stood on the side of the road holding your sign, asking our community to vote for you. At one point, I even stood next to you as we waved at cars together. I asked my friends and family to vote for you because you were pro-education, pro-labor union, and pro-working class people of Hawaii. You understood our struggles and wanted to make positive changes to help our state.
At the time, you were clearly the best candidate for the job because you were humble and I really felt your integrity. Do I regret pushing so hard for your re-election? Every endorsement comes with uncertainty about that candidate’s follow through. I write this letter to ask for you to fulfill what you said you would do, even with this added pandemic challenge.
These are difficult times and being a leader through these times is challenging. I want to tell you about what I told my Facebook friends and family on August 11, 2018:
I just voted. David Ige is who teachers know will help make our schools a better place.
Better schools = Better prepared students
Better prepared students = Better present
Better present = Better future
Better future = Better life for everyone, regardless of whether you have kids in school or not
He is humble, he works hard, he has integrity.
Please give him four more years to finish the job.
I send you these words to remind you about the job you set out to do and why educators feel frustrated. We want you to work with us! Teacher pay was already low. We already had a teacher shortage crisis. Teachers work second or third jobs to make ends meet, many of those second jobs are lost right now. We are the lowest paid in the country when you factor in cost of living.
With the proclaimed state of emergency, you have the right to take away collective bargaining. But it does not mean you have to. What was most disappointing was your blanket announcement without discussion. We need to work together and the lack of discussion is not pono. Let us talk about this with all stakeholders. If we work together, we can find a solution that fits.
That 20% is not lining our savings accounts. It will be spent right back into the community: rent, groceries, utility bills, mortgage payments, medical expenses, precious toilet paper, supporting the local businesses that are open, etc. We need to keep money circulating in our state. The majority of educators barely make ends meet. We do not put 20% away for our rainy day fund. Educators cannot afford to have one in the first place.
Right now, teachers are not sitting at home idly. We are working hard to do our best for our students during these trying times. We are doing our best to support them and being creative in ways to keep them engaged and cared for, while we cannot have physical schools open. Schools are the backbone of our society and the entire future of our state rests on the education we can provide our keiki in our public schools. We cannot even begin to think about reopening the economy unless we have schools where students are educated, loved, safe and supported. Pay educators fairly and they will stay to work hard for our keiki.
So my letter is to ask you to come to the table and make sure you look at all other options before furloughs and a reduction in pay. While this may seem like the easiest solution, the consequences outweigh the benefits. Let us be creative for a solid future for our state.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sarah Tochiki
Band Director
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School
Lihue, HI