Pubdate: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI) Copyright: 2007 Honolulu Star-Bulletin Contact: http://www.starbulletin.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/196 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n522.a08.html Author: John Hoff 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 - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake