Nonprofit Kanu seeks alternatives to Furlough Fridays
Hawaii’s closure of public schools to save money is “mind-boggling,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Nov. 12. Announcing the details of a federal initiative that will provide $4 billion to states that can prove they are raising student performance, Duncan said Hawaii’s recent decision to close public schools for 17 “Furlough Fridays” this academic year and next will make it difficult for the state to qualify for up to $75 million in federal funds.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Kanu Hawaii and other groups have been advocating for the Legislature and governor to find alternatives to the furloughs. James Koshiba, Kanu executive director, wrote on Nov. 16, "A week ago, the chances of stopping Furlough Fridays before the end of the 2009-10 school year seemed to be dwindling. Events of the past few days, though, prove that the power of people making their voices heard can have unexpected results."
Koshiba continues:
Yesterday, the Governor announced her willingness to back a solution nearly identical to the one we've been discussing here (on the Kanu web site), and end Furlough Fridays starting Jan. 1, 2010. Her plan: The Legislature convenes a Special Session to authorize using the Rainy Day Fund to cover some Fridays; the teachers’ union swaps non-instructional days for teaching days to cover the rest; and she will sign off on the whole thing.
The last part of this statement is the important one. Yesterday was the first time the Governor publicly backed the use of Special Funds by the Legislature. It was also the first time any of the parties – Governor, union, or Legislature –said publicly what they’d be willing to do without first demanding action or commitment from the others.
Prior to the Governor’s statement, Legislative leaders were reluctant to call members into a Special Session because there was no guarantee the Governor would approve use of Special Funds (although they could have overridden her veto with enough votes, if necessary).
Without more funds, the teachers’ union was unwilling to renegotiate the contract which cut the school year 17 days short. Today, union head Wil Okabe indicated that ‘this is the kind of proposal that will get us back to the negotiating table.’
Rallies by members on Kauai and Hawaii Island, petition gathering on Molokai and Maui, students from Kealakehe High School weighing in, the school walk-ins and sit-ins, the media coverage, the support we lent to leading groups like Hawaii Education Matters and Save Our Schools, the circulation of your ideas, suggestions and comments to lawmakers - all helped make this happen
