The Legislature is considering several bills relating to housing vouchers for the state’s public school teachers. The reason for this is to keep certified teachers.

These bills should not be passed. They do not distinguish between a good teacher and a bad teacher, so the bad will get the same reward as the good.

Teachers claim that they cannot afford the high cost of living in Hawaii. There is no doubt the cost of living is higher here than on the mainland. However, the cost of living in Hawaii is the same for everyone. The stores do not charge a teacher more for a loaf of bread than they charge anyone else.

A teacher works 10 months a year, but the average worker works 12 months. Teachers get every state and federal holiday off; not every worker gets every holiday off.

It is interesting that the teachers do not talk about their benefits package, which is acknowledged as one of the best, if not the best, public-sector benefits package in the state.

Glenn Carvalho

Pepeekeo, Hawaii island

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