STATE ADDS DRUG TESTS TO ABUSE OF TEACHERS

Any drug testing in the Department of Education needs to begin with
the top administrative levels, not the teachers' level. Hawaii's
educational system is dysfunctional and broken -- "broken" being the
very word used by State Superintendent Pat Hamamoto in 2005. The DOE
under her supervision is being managed very much like Enron. Our
Department of Ed-ron is incapable of delivering a product, education,
that taxpayers are investing in.

Our Department of Ed-ron's extortionate managerial policies and
practices include withholding state legislated wages from a regularly
abused segment of the educational system, substitute teachers. Even
after a Hawaii court ruled in favor of substitute teachers'
class-action lawsuit awarding them $15 million, the state avoids
paying by appealing the judgment.

With a $700 million tax surplus, our elected and appointed officials
can't find $15 million to pay subs' back pay? This is leadership?
Perhaps we should revert back to a monarchy.

John Hoff

Another substitute teacher leaving the profession

Koloa, Kauai