Philippines RPCV John Hoff seeks to unionize substitute teachers in Hawaii



Philippines RPCV John Hoff seeks to unionize substitute teachers in Hawaii

Teacher seeks to unionize substitutes

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Education Writer

John Hoff is a builder, in more ways than one.

John Hoff

He became a substitute teacher on Kaua'i after working there for more than 30 years as a general contractor, constructing homes and developing real estate. Now 65, he's determined to create a union for substitutes and fix a system he finds unjust.

"If there were no abuses, there'd be no need for a union," said Hoff, founder of the Substitute Teachers Professional Alliance. "I'm a Republican, and I'm starting a union. That surprises some people, but if there's an abuse, you get rid of it. An abuse is an abuse."

Organizing hasn't been easy. It took repeated requests — and a $123 fee — to get a list of substitutes from the Department of Education, Hoff said. He then got telephone directories for each island and started looking up numbers.

"It's been a two-year process, and now it's getting to the point where it's paying off," he said. "The organization is coming together."

He's taught in nearly all of Kaua'i's 15 public schools, and said he brings a can-do spirit to the classroom. Sharing personal experiences is a good way to keep students' attention and gain their respect, he said.

"The kids love substitutes because they're something different, something new," Hoff said. "If you can tell stories of your life, they just eat it up. They appreciate it if you treat them fair and if you tell them stories."

Hoff has some good ones. He grew up in the Bay Area and earned a bachelor's degree in American history from San Francisco State University. It was the 1960s, and the city was alive with ideas and unrest.

As a Coast Guard reservist, Hoff helped search San Francisco Bay for three convicts who made a famous escape from the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. The escapees paddled away in an improvised raft and were never heard from again. Some historians suspect they drowned, but Hoff believes they made it.

"The water was so smooth, with hardly any current, and it was hot outside," he said. "They couldn't have picked a better night. The kids love that story."

He later joined the Peace Corps and came to Hawai'i for training, then served in the Philippines. It was a beautiful country with a hard edge, and guns seemed to be everywhere, he said.

Hoff returned to Hawai'i in 1966 and stayed, raising children who attended Kaua'i's public schools. As a substitute, he's taught a variety of subjects, including science, math and auto shop. History is a favorite, but it's a challenge to keep students interested.

He recalled showing a class the film clip taken when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, then leading a discussion about possible motives for the killing.

"They said, 'Mr. Hoff, history's interesting the way you teach it.' That was quite a compliment," he said.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's. 19 Mar 2005

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March's Feature Stories - only on PCOL Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

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March 19, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News New Jersey RPCVs host exhibit in Maplewood on April 2 20 Mar Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar Illinois RPCVs present "Life on the Big Red Island" 13 Mar San Diego RPCVs host reception with Gaddi Vasquez on March 6 4 Mar Western North Carolina's RPCVs sponsor Africa Night on March 6 3 Mar Connecticut RPCVs held fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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March 19, 2005: This Week's Top Stories RPCV points out catalytic effect of Iraq 19 Mar PCVs set up Basketball pool in Ukraine 19 Mar Sam Farr introduces bill to monitor ocean fisheries 18 Mar Bridgeland does not rule out run for Congress 18 Mar Jim Doyle promotes Institute for Discovery 18 Mar Newspaper says Bangladesh is safe for PCVs 18 Mar Joan Ruddiman revisits Peter Hessler's "River World" 17 Mar Mark Schneider says Save Haiti from more violence 17 Mar Troy Johnson joins delegation to Indonesia 17 Mar Chris Shays says baseball not exempt from the law 17 Mar "Hurlyburly" benefits gypsy women in Romania 15 Mar Chris Matthews interviews Schwarzenegger 14 Mar Fred Burke dies in NJ, trained early PCVs 13 Mar Mike Honda introduces Student Privacy Protection Act 13 Mar FT details Cheney-McPherson relationship 13 Mar Tucker McCravy reports on Tsunami Reconstruction 10 Mar Dennis Braddock retires with record of accomplishment 9 Mar

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

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