It should have never come to this. The ill-advised, short-sighted plan to help balance the state’s budget by closing Hawai‘i public schools for 17 Fridays this academic year and another 17 the following year has already done enough damage. Students
It should have never come to this.
The ill-advised, short-sighted plan to help balance the state’s budget by closing Hawai‘i public schools for 17 Fridays this academic year and another 17 the following year has already done enough damage.
Students are being punished for the government’s poor financial planning and the teachers union’s unwillingness to take a temporary pay cut and remain in the classroom to serve our children.
We know this is asking a lot but it’s a unique time. We all need to pull together during this financial storm to ensure our children have a fighting chance after graduation.
But instead of dwelling on the past decisions that brought us here, let’s look forward and take the steps necessary to end this absurdity and put our children back in class.
The two-fold proposal to raid the state’s rainy day fund and shift the teachers’ non-instructional days to classroom time should be acted upon at once. This requires lawmakers to appropriate the money and the union to agree to contract changes.
Rather than wait for the 2010 legislative session, which does not start until January and would likely not impact students for months, lawmakers should convene a special session before any further damage is incurred.
Lawmakers no longer have any reasonable excuse to delay action.
Gov. Linda Lingle last Sunday proposed using $50 million from the state’s Emergency Budget Reserve Fund to restore 12 of the furlough days. Although Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, last month proposed using some of the hurricane relief fund to bring teachers back to the negotiating table, what matters is there is now consensus to use state money to help ease this educational nightmare — regardless of which fund it comes from.
The Republican governor’s support gives Democrats in the House and Senate the political cover they need as the 2010 elections come into view.
When these politicians are waving signs alongside Kuhio and Kaumuali‘i highways next fall, remember to ask them what aggressive, proactive steps they personally took to end furloughs for our students.
Now, quick action does not necessarily mean the entire $180 million Hurricane Relief Fund and $60 million from the Emergency Budget Reserve Fund needs to be tapped dry. The governor’s proposal calls for restoring 15 of the 27 furlough days by moving non-instructional planning and waiver days to classroom time. These are days when the students, but not the teachers, were previously scheduled to be out of school.
That’s where our teachers come into the equation.
It’s not fair (or legal) to expect anybody to work for free, and of course we need our teachers to understand the valued role they play in our society, but our fiscally strapped state government cannot be expected to foot the entire bill.
Teachers, and more importantly teachers union representatives, have to be willing to concede certain short-term points for the future of our children.
We hope the educators remember that they are in this field to help students learn and grow.
And so we urge the teachers, like the legislators, to do their part in making this two-pronged proposal a reality.
If you’re a teacher, and you don’t agree with that bargaining position, give your union rep a call and tell them to be a bit more reasonable in this critical time of need. Together, you are serving our children to equip them for success in life after school.
In this game of chicken, both sides need to back down, take a deep breath and realize that these macho maneuverings are punishing those who need our help the most.
State legislators, we’re counting on you to get back to work — immediately — and scrape up every loose nickel you can find to bring to the table for our teachers. A handful of furlough days are already in the rearview mirror. Recognize the urgency of the situation in our schools and make this a priority.
And teachers, we’re counting on you too. We’re counting on you to be willing to renegotiate your contracts in good faith with our government.
To the concerned community members, mahalo for waving the red flag that brought the pressure on our politicians to review the play on the field.
It should never have come to this, but here we are. Let’s move forward and fix this problem. It’s going to take everybody working together to make it happen.
Let’s get back to the table.
