About 20 public school teachers staged a sit-in Saturday at Washington Place to call attention to their lack of a negotiated contract and to underscore how much work they do on personal time.

Many graded papers and tests as they sat along the sidewalk near where Gov. Neil Abercrombie resides.

And some were still bristling from remarks Abercrombie made Feb. 24 at the National Governors Association winter meeting, where the governor said he might have to impose yet another contract on teachers if negotiations fail.

"What angered me so much and I think what angered a lot of teachers is that he said a lot of teachers supported him," said Campbell High School teacher Corey Rosenlee, who organized the "teach-in." "He said, ‘This is a good lesson. Be careful what you wish for because they got me and so now there’s an imposed contract.’ And then he chuckled."

Teachers have been without a contract since July 2011 when the state imposed a "last, best and final" offer that included wage cuts and higher medical premiums. The average DOE teacher makes $47,000 annually.

Nellwyne Young, a Campbell High counselor, said, "It seems like a personal attack to educators, and we had thought that he was the ‘Education Governor.’"

She added, "Hopefully, we are getting his attention."

Her son, Brenden, held up a sign that read: "When my mom works nights and weekends, it takes away time from me."

Young said her husband works a full-time job and two part-time jobs to support the family.

Math teacher Imee Caraang, who was grading algebra quizzes, said her salary just covers rent and day care for her 1-year-old son.

"It’s been a real struggle," she said. "We’re getting by, but we’re always concerned about food and our student loans. It’s all starting to pile up."

Many teachers could not be at the "teach-in" because some were at a science fair, while others were coaching kids or working a second job, Rosenlee said.