Teachers from three more Maui schools - Iao Intermediate, Maui High and Pukalani Elementary - have joined teachers from 79 schools across the state in the "work to rule" protests, according to an announcement from the group organizing the demonstrations.
Earlier, the group said teachers at Kahului Elementary and King Kekaulike High schools were taking part in the protests, which started with one school three weeks ago and has spread to more than six dozen. The next scheduled protest is today, when protesting teachers will not attend school activities normally staffed by teachers outside their 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. contract hours.
"Teachers will stop all co-curricular activities that they are not compensated for, including coaching, advising, tutoring, meeting and contacting parents, helping struggling students, and providing college prep services in accordance with the mandate currently being imposed by the governor," the announcement from the organizing group of teachers said.
There was no one authorized to comment Wednesday at the Maui office of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. There also was no comment from HSTA officials in Honolulu.
On Tuesday, state Department of Education officials told members of the Board of Education that while teachers are permitted to participate in "work to rule" protests, they are not allowed to use school supplies for signs and to recruit students to participate during school time, and they must fulfill their contractual professional responsibilities, such as preparing for instruction or participating in after-school activities, even if those involve time beyond normal working hours.
The group organizing "work to rule" protests responded by saying that "instead of working with teachers to improve education and teacher quality, the governor-appointed Board of Education issued a memo today stating that principals can require teachers to work beyond the hours of their contract without compensation."
"This movement has always been about improving education and teacher quality," the group's statement said. "Our desire is to end this protest and go back to teaching, but we have worked 16 months without a contract, and we see that the governor and the BOE have no desire to compensate teachers fairly for all for the extra work that teachers do."
The group said teachers have waited 16 months for a "fair contract."
"But our patience has now been met with contempt and neglect," the group said. "Teaching is a profession that should be held in high regard, and most of all, teachers' volunteering works should not be taken for granted as required unpaid work."
