‘Treading Water’ No More? Hawaii Public Service Workers See Hope In Student Debt Forgiveness… The Biden administration is now also considering cancelling debt for all students, not just those in public service.
David Negaard never had much exposure to classic literature when he was growing up in Southern California, so as an English teacher at Baldwin High School on Maui he gets a special thrill by introducing his students to the beauty of the written word, communicated over the centuries.
“When they discover Shakespeare — that it’s intelligible, and has something special for them, that’s a joyful moment for me,” Negaard, 62, said recently. “I love being a teacher. I love public school and the kids need me here.”
But despite the satisfaction he finds on the job, the debt Negaard accumulated in his quest to become a teacher has hung over his life like a shadow. More than 30 years ago, he took out about $75,000 in loans to pay for college, including tuition and living expenses. Financial setbacks compelled him to defer the steep monthly payments on several occasions and the total debt and accumulated interest eventually ballooned to $115,000, leaving him to wonder whether he would ever be able to retire.
