Hawaii teachers have joined the Red for Ed movement: Last week, dozens of teachers across the state staged a “walk-in” protest to spread awareness about what they see as a lack of funding for public schools.
They’re urging support for a ballot measure that would put in place a property tax to fund schools. The measure, which voters will consider in November, would tax investment real estate worth more than $1 million. The state’s counties have urged the state supreme court to invalidate the ballot question, arguing that it misleads voters by not mentioning the word tax.
But the state teachers’ union has said the money that would be raised from the measure is critical for schools. While Hawaii’s average teacher salary is $56,651, according to the National Education Association, the union contends that when adjusted for cost-of-living, Aloha State teachers are the lowest paid in the nation. The union has also said the state is among the lowest in per-pupil spending.
