MEDIA RELEASE

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has announced the state has responded to the proposal by Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) with a settlement offer.

The state’s offer is not in agreement with the latest HSTA proposal.

Abercrombie issued the following statement:

“The HSTA proposal is fiscally irresponsible and devoid of reasonable policy regarding standards and performance. It is a priority of this Administration to engage in collective bargaining that is financially sound and advances student achievement and support for teachers in the classroom.

“We have made a settlement offer to HSTA that reflects the pilot performance-based evaluation system which includes student outcomes. This system, as proposed, incorporates protocols that prevent arbitrary personnel consequences. This offer also includes improving the probation and evaluation system for teachers that will be hired in the future.

“Our focus remains making an education transformation that is necessary to ensure better learning in the classroom for all students.

“We look forward to HSTA accepting this settlement offer.”

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In response, HSTA leaders issued this reply:

Friends of Public Education:

Please see the following letter below in response to the Governor’s disappointing public statements about teachers.

Mr. Neil Dietz
Chief Negotiator
Office of Collective Bargaining
235 South Beretania St., 14th Floor
Honolulu, HI 968113

Dear Mr. Dietz:

Re: HSTA’s Bargaining Proposal for a New Collective Bargaining Agreement

On January 19th, 2012, teachers overwhelmingly rejected a tentative settlement because among other things, it lacked detailed on how teachers would be evaluated.

On January 20th, 2012, Governor Abercrombie asked the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) for a new proposal. In our genuine effort to give a proposal that addressed key concerns of teachers, the HSTA took two weeks to reach out to our 13,000 teachers in every school to gain feedback. We took another one and one-half weeks to review teacher feedback forms and create a new comprehensive proposal to secure a contract for six years. This comprehensive proposal also took into account the financial condition of the State now as projected by the Council on Revenues going forward through 2017. We delivered this new proposal to you on February 28th, 2012 asking for bargaining dates.

Meanwhile, HSTA successfully negotiated an agreement for extended learning time for the schools in the Race to the Top Zones of Innovation and the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind.

On March 16th, 2012, we received a response from DOE’s Negotiations Administrator on behalf of the Employer, of an offer to settle the teachers’ contract. While we are disappointed in the Governor’s public response to the teachers’ proposal, we request a meeting to address the Employer’s settlement offer and also the HSTA’s comprehensive proposal. Again, the HSTA’s negotiating team is available for negotiations meetings based on the Governor’s availability.

Yours truly,
Wil Okabe
HSTA President