Did Unions’ Lack of Support Spell Trouble for School Superintendent? Some education insiders said while union opposition was damaging, it was not “as simple as unions throwing their weight around.”
In April 2018, Hawaii’s schools superintendent Christina Kishimoto joined the teachers’ union at the State Capitol to witness a key Senate vote that secured passage of a constitutional amendment proposing a new tax to fund public schools.
The mood among the red-shirted union members in the Senate gallery that day was celebratory and triumphant as the bill sailed through on a 23-1 vote.
While the state Department of Education had not taken an official position on the bill, Kishimoto’s appearance alongside the Hawaii State Teachers Association, one year into her tenure, spoke volumes: she stood united with the group in its quest to increase funding for public education.
