Gov. David Ige announced two of the boldest initiatives of his
administration Tuesday by proposing to restructure as much as half of
the state’s public elementary schools to accommodate state-funded preschools, and to lease out state lands for condominium developments.
Ige’s preschool proposal, which was included in the State of the State address
he delivered Tuesday at the Capitol, would move sixth-graders into
middle schools at some schools, freeing up space in elementary schools
for preschool classes.
“First and foremost, we must create a universal, statewide,
high-quality public preschool system that will give every child in
Hawaii a head start on learning,” Ige said. “Ultimately, we will need
more than 300 public pre-K classrooms. Clearly, this is a long-term
goal. But we don’t have to wait until we have funding for all of it.”
House lawmakers praised Ige’s speech and said they support the idea
of universal preschool but have reservations about the cost. House
Democratic Majority Leader Della Au Belatti said Ige’s preschool plan
would eventually cost the state an extra $51 million a year for
operations and require another $500 million for additional classroom
construction.
When asked about those concerns, state schools Superintendent
Christina Kishimoto replied that “answers to tough questions is what the
Legislature is here for, and so I am looking forward to how they talk
about a long-term solution to this.”
“There is national and very long-term research that says pre-K access
matters in closing the achievement gap” between students from
low-income families and students from higher-income families, Kishimoto
said. “We have a huge achievement gap in this state.”
Ige told reporters after his speech that “obviously, it’s a
decades-long process, but if we don’t have a goal and we don’t have a
vision, then we’ll never get there.”
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Republicans vs. Democrats on education
A sizable majority of Republicans consider higher education to be a
negative influence on America, according to a new Pew Research Center
poll published Monday.
Pew found that fifty-eight percent of Republicans viewed college education negatively, while 36 percent of GOP voters saw these institutions positively.
Democrats, on the other hand, overwhelmingly viewed higher education favorably, with 72 percent of the party’s self-described voters having a positive opinion of it. Only 19 percent of Democrats had a negative view of higher education, according to Pew.
The prestigious research firm said that Republican views on college have dramatically changed over a short period of time. In just two years, the number of Republicans who positively viewed higher education declined from 54 percent to 36 percent, Pew reports.
The study also reported that self-described conservative Republicans were more likely to suspiciously view college education — 65 percent versus 58 percent for all GOP voters.
Pew’s poll attempted to study which major institutions Americans trust and distrust based on party affiliation. Republicans were also found to overwhelmingly view the news media negatively, while Democrats were more evenly split on the institution.
Eight-five percent of Republicans said they had a negative opinion of the press versus only 10 percent with a positive view of this institution. Most Democrats as well were found to negatively view the media, but by a much smaller margin of 46 percent with a negative opinion versus 44 percent with a positive view of the press.
Pew found that fifty-eight percent of Republicans viewed college education negatively, while 36 percent of GOP voters saw these institutions positively.
Democrats, on the other hand, overwhelmingly viewed higher education favorably, with 72 percent of the party’s self-described voters having a positive opinion of it. Only 19 percent of Democrats had a negative view of higher education, according to Pew.
The prestigious research firm said that Republican views on college have dramatically changed over a short period of time. In just two years, the number of Republicans who positively viewed higher education declined from 54 percent to 36 percent, Pew reports.
The study also reported that self-described conservative Republicans were more likely to suspiciously view college education — 65 percent versus 58 percent for all GOP voters.
Pew’s poll attempted to study which major institutions Americans trust and distrust based on party affiliation. Republicans were also found to overwhelmingly view the news media negatively, while Democrats were more evenly split on the institution.
Eight-five percent of Republicans said they had a negative opinion of the press versus only 10 percent with a positive view of this institution. Most Democrats as well were found to negatively view the media, but by a much smaller margin of 46 percent with a negative opinion versus 44 percent with a positive view of the press.
Friday, January 09, 2015
free community college?
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama wants to make two years of community college free and universally available, a proposal he said on Thursday he would flesh out in his State of the Union speech later this month.
White House officials acknowledged the plan would come with a significant price tag but declined to disclose projected costs, saying those details would come in Obama's budget on Feb. 2.
"Put simply, what I'd like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody's who is willing to work for it," Obama said in a video message released by the White House.
The idea would require the Republican-controlled Congress to pass legislation so that the federal government could pay for 75 percent of tuition, with participating state governments having to pick up the rest of the tab.
"With no details or information on the cost, this seems more like a talking point than a plan," said Cory Fritz, spokesman for Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in the House of Representatives.
If all states signed on to Obama's plan, an estimated 9 million students could benefit. A full-time community college student could save an average of $3,800 in tuition a year.
Under the proposal, students who attend at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 grade point average while in college, and make steady progress toward completing their programs would have their tuition eliminated.
White House officials acknowledged the plan would come with a significant price tag but declined to disclose projected costs, saying those details would come in Obama's budget on Feb. 2.
"Put simply, what I'd like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody's who is willing to work for it," Obama said in a video message released by the White House.
The idea would require the Republican-controlled Congress to pass legislation so that the federal government could pay for 75 percent of tuition, with participating state governments having to pick up the rest of the tab.
"With no details or information on the cost, this seems more like a talking point than a plan," said Cory Fritz, spokesman for Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in the House of Representatives.
If all states signed on to Obama's plan, an estimated 9 million students could benefit. A full-time community college student could save an average of $3,800 in tuition a year.
Under the proposal, students who attend at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 grade point average while in college, and make steady progress toward completing their programs would have their tuition eliminated.
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
$31 million in the red
The
University of Hawaii's flagship Manoa campus is facing a
multimillion-dollar tuition shortfall for a fourth straight year
as state support continues to decline while energy and personnel costs
escalate.
Manoa officials are projecting a $31 million deficit for the fiscal year that ends June 30, despite efforts to curb spending.
Manoa officials are projecting a $31 million deficit for the fiscal year that ends June 30, despite efforts to curb spending.
Interim
Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman, who took the reins Sept. 1, said he
is actively seeking ways to cut costs but cautioned that Manoa's
debt could keep growing as the campus re-evaluates its spending
priorities.
"Our goal
is to fly level for this year, and during this year try to reconnoiter
and figure out where we're going to go in the future," Bley-Vroman
told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Tuesday. "The university as a
whole needs to fly level. I think we can do it. I think it will be
tough, and we may see our bank balance decline even more for a while,
but we can do it."
The overspending began in 2012, when the campus incurred a $2.6 million deficit under then-Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.
UH-Manoa
had started that year with a $21 million surplus in tuition revenue but
was instructed by UH system administration to spend down some of
its reserves for fear that the state might view the surplus as too
healthy, said Kathy Cutshaw, Manoa's vice chancellor for
administration, finance and operations. Tuition revenues were
subsequently spent on faculty salary restorations, student
laboratory space and information technology upgrades.
The
shortfall swelled to $17 million and then $26 million in the following
two years under then-Chancellor Tom Apple. Those shortfalls were
covered by university reserves.
Utility
costs ran over budget by a combined $13 million in those years.
Among other added costs, the campus also paid out $6.4 million for 3
percent faculty salary increases that it had expected the state to
cover, and suffered a $7 million cut from the Legislature, in fiscal
2014.
Manoa's
financial crisis was the chief reason UH President David Lassner gave
when he fired Apple on July 30 with three years remaining on a
contract.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Tom Apple fired as University of Hawaii Chancellor
University of Hawaii at Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple says he was forced out as head of the UH system's flagship campus Wednesday, two years into his five-year appointment.
Apple said he was removed "for alleged unsatisfactory performance" in his job.
"The community has a right to know from the horse's mouth, rather than wondering what happened," Apple said in an email to reporters late Wednesday. "I was handed a termination letter late this afternoon by President Lassner. … I asked one more time if there was any chance that he might reverse his intention to release me from the post, and was told ‘no.'"
Apple said he had provided David Lassner with a rebuttal of the allegations.
"I believe I have done my job to the best of my ability and in service to the true needs of this institution," he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Hawaii island attorney Jerry Hiatt.
Apple was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary under former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, who recommended he be appointed to a five-year term through June 30, 2017, "subject each year to successful annual performance evaluations at the level of satisfactory or above."
Hiatt had previously said the chancellor had three years remaining on a five-year contract that included rights to a tenured faculty position.
Under the terms of a settlement agreement released to the media by Hiatt, Apple will be reassigned as a tenured chemistry professor at an annual salary of $299,000, effective Sept. 1. The settlement also includes a $100,000 lump-sum payout as compensation and for attorneys' fees.
Apple said he rejected a previous offer for a position at Manoa's medical school because he would have had to report to John A. Burns School of Medicine Dean Jerris Hedges.
"That would have created untenable conditions, under which I would have had to leave the university entirely," he said. (Apple reportedly tried to terminate Hedges.)
The move comes one day after UH President David Lassner alluded to an impending firing in a statement that said he had tried to maintain confidentiality about the situation "to provide the chancellor the privacy and dignity that any of us would want for ourselves in a difficult personnel situation."
Hiatt has said that Apple's efforts to curb expenses at Manoa have riled some deans and directors, who have lobbied for his removal.
Earlier this month, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice. The plan also stipulates that programs that ended the fiscal year in the red will have their negative balances applied against their 2014-15 budgets.
He's also been criticized for allegedly favoring the athletic department, last year "forgiving" a $14.7 million accumulated net deficit the department built up over the previous decade.
"Though I have been forced out of my post as chancellor, I remain willing to serve the university," Apple said.
He expressed gratitude and aloha "to the students, staff, faculty and administrators here on campus, and to the members of the larger community throughout the state, who have worked so tirelessly with me."
*** [8/1/14]
University of Hawaii President David Lassner said former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple's performance over the past two years raised serious red flags about his abilities to turn around a fiscal crisis, inspire his leadership team to carry out strategic goals, and champion the university's flagship campus.
For those and other reasons, Lassner said, he initiated discussions with Apple a couple weeks ago to remove him as chancellor.
"I have had concerns about his performance. I have tried to discuss them with him over this past year, and I have been unsuccessful in improving his performance," Lassner told a crowd of about 100 students and faculty who marched to his offices Thursday to protest his decision to fire Apple the night before.
He mostly read from talking points, and was clearly flustered at times as students and faculty peppered him with questions and at times booed him.
"I had several concerns. One was the financial condition of the campus," Lassner said. "I had concerns about (his) ability to lead a cohesive leadership team. I had concerns about divisiveness on the campus, and increasing zero-sum-game attitudes about who's getting whose money."
Apple announced Wednesday night he was forced out by Lassner, following an unsatisfactory job rating. Apple, who was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary, had three years remaining on a five-year appointment.
The school's Graduate Student Organization and the Association Students of the University of Hawaii organized Thursday's rally, which turned into a sit-in at Bachman Hall, where Lassner's offices are located.
Students blasted Lassner, wanting to know why the evaluation process didn't involve students and faculty.
"We had no opportunity, as the key stakeholders of our campus, to give you input before you made your decision," said Bonniejean Manini, a former chairwoman of the Manoa Faculty Senate.
Lassner said the evaluation process traditionally has not involved outside input, but added that he would revisit the policy.
He defended his decision to keep his discussions with Apple private.
"We went into a negotiation period, and his attorney advised us that Chancellor Apple had committed to him not to talk with the press," Lassner said. "It was during this period that Chancellor Apple began, clearly, to talk with people inside and outside the university, and this became news."
Manoa physics and astronomy professor John Learned said, "You had to have known this was going to cause an uproar."
"That was Chancellor Apple's choice," Lassner said, triggering boos from the crowd. "I haven't enjoyed this any more than you have or Chancellor Apple, quite frankly."
Lassner said the financial crisis at Manoa troubled him most.
He said he became aware of what Apple has characterized as a $20 million annual shortfall in operating funds soon after Lassner became interim president last fall.
"That did not exist in 2012. His vice chancellors have been trying to advise him of this, I have personally been trying to advise him of these challenges, and there was no apparent change in course of action until the freeze was announced, which was announced after we began our separation conversations," Lassner said.
In a July 15 memo, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice.
"As Chancellor Apple's line manager, if he's as bad as he is, shouldn't you be ultimately responsible for his performance? Shouldn't we therefore be talking about your termination?" questioned Margaret Maaka, a professor in the College of Education, drawing cheers.
"It is not my job to manage the Manoa campus. It is my job to try to help the leader of the Manoa campus succeed, and I have done so regularly throughout the course of this year," Lassner replied.
Lassner insisted that outside influences did not prompt his decision. "There was no outside political influence asking me or directing me or pressuring me to remove Tom Apple," he said.
He was asked whether the 14 Manoa deans who nominated him for the permanent president post had lobbied him to fire Apple. "Was there a quid pro quo for your nomination?" Maaka asked.
"No. No. No," Lassner repeated, his voice escalating.
He was also asked whether Apple's two failed attempts to fire UHCancer Center DirectorMichele Carbone factored into the decision. "Whether or not he believed that director should be removed was not a factor in my evaluation,"Lassner said.
Apple has agreed to a settlement that will reassign him as a tenured chemistry professor at a $299,000 annual salary, effective Sept. 1. He also will receive a $100,000 lump-sum payout. His chancellor duties have been rescinded.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on specific statements by Lassner.
He shared a five-page letter he sent Lassner in response to his job rating, outlining initiatives he's implemented and defending his performance.
"You seem to have forgotten that you personally voiced support for my vision for (Manoa) on many occasions,"Apple wrote. "I stood up and took the knocks that inevitably come with such hard decisions, so I admit that I am very disappointed by the absence of support shown by you when controversy arises. ... It appears that this was deliberately done to get the result you wished to achieve -- support for a false claim of unsatisfactory performance."
*** [8/13/14] Bob Jone speculates (MidWeek, August 13, 2014):
What troubles me (from poring over Apple’s defense of himself) is my nagging feeling that much of this was about the unhappiness of a few Big Money contributors to UH Cancer Center when Apple tried to get rid of center director Michele Carbone. Apple makes that accusation himself in this letter:
“Your negative comments in my evaluation about interactions with community stakeholders thus do appear to refer to those few powerful people who support the Director of the Cancer Center, whom I tried to remove with your initial consent.
“Dr. Carbone has driven away two of our top researchers (Goodman and Kolonel), alienated two other top researchers (Le Marc-hand and Wilkens), and angered, alienated and persecuted several others. In addition to this thoroughly embarrassing and truly awful history, Dr. Carbone now requires one full-time $300,000 ‘assistant’ (Blanchette) and another $300,000 advisor (Hinshaw) to oversee his conduct.
“Had you not abruptly and unwisely reversed your earlier position on this issue, we would not now still have dysfunctional, erratic and incredibly expensive leadership at the Cancer Center.”
Those are very powerful accusations against Lassner. They suggest that he bowed to pressure from wealthy community philanthropists who have given heavily to the Cancer Center, and are close friends with and stalwart supporters of director Carbone.
That’s an issue never to be resolved. I don’t expect Lassner to say, “OK, you got me. They told me to either fire you or we lose their money. I chose the money.”
*** [9/18/14]
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Faculty Senate voted 43-16 Wednesday in favor of censuring UH President David Lassner over the group's displeasure with how Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was fired.
The largely symbolic move apparently is a first for a UH administrator, and comes less than three months into Lassner's tenure as president and about two months after he terminated Apple following what he said was an unsatisfactory performance review.
Apple, who was two years into a five-year contract, says he was forced out and blamed for mismanaging Manoa's finances. He contends he was removed for his failed attempts to fire the controversial director of the UH Cancer Center and for budget cuts that angered the medical school dean, but Lassner insists no one influenced his decision.
The Faculty Senate considered amending the censure resolution language to a stronger vote of no confidence, which some equated to a call for Lassner to step down. But that effort failed in a tie vote that Faculty Senate Chairman Ron Bontekoe broke in favor of the original censure language.
The censure vote has no practical effect on Lassner but is meant to convey the faculty's disappointment with the new president.
Apple said he was removed "for alleged unsatisfactory performance" in his job.
"The community has a right to know from the horse's mouth, rather than wondering what happened," Apple said in an email to reporters late Wednesday. "I was handed a termination letter late this afternoon by President Lassner. … I asked one more time if there was any chance that he might reverse his intention to release me from the post, and was told ‘no.'"
Apple said he had provided David Lassner with a rebuttal of the allegations.
"I believe I have done my job to the best of my ability and in service to the true needs of this institution," he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Hawaii island attorney Jerry Hiatt.
Apple was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary under former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, who recommended he be appointed to a five-year term through June 30, 2017, "subject each year to successful annual performance evaluations at the level of satisfactory or above."
Hiatt had previously said the chancellor had three years remaining on a five-year contract that included rights to a tenured faculty position.
Under the terms of a settlement agreement released to the media by Hiatt, Apple will be reassigned as a tenured chemistry professor at an annual salary of $299,000, effective Sept. 1. The settlement also includes a $100,000 lump-sum payout as compensation and for attorneys' fees.
Apple said he rejected a previous offer for a position at Manoa's medical school because he would have had to report to John A. Burns School of Medicine Dean Jerris Hedges.
"That would have created untenable conditions, under which I would have had to leave the university entirely," he said. (Apple reportedly tried to terminate Hedges.)
The move comes one day after UH President David Lassner alluded to an impending firing in a statement that said he had tried to maintain confidentiality about the situation "to provide the chancellor the privacy and dignity that any of us would want for ourselves in a difficult personnel situation."
Hiatt has said that Apple's efforts to curb expenses at Manoa have riled some deans and directors, who have lobbied for his removal.
Earlier this month, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice. The plan also stipulates that programs that ended the fiscal year in the red will have their negative balances applied against their 2014-15 budgets.
He's also been criticized for allegedly favoring the athletic department, last year "forgiving" a $14.7 million accumulated net deficit the department built up over the previous decade.
"Though I have been forced out of my post as chancellor, I remain willing to serve the university," Apple said.
He expressed gratitude and aloha "to the students, staff, faculty and administrators here on campus, and to the members of the larger community throughout the state, who have worked so tirelessly with me."
*** [8/1/14]
University of Hawaii President David Lassner said former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple's performance over the past two years raised serious red flags about his abilities to turn around a fiscal crisis, inspire his leadership team to carry out strategic goals, and champion the university's flagship campus.
For those and other reasons, Lassner said, he initiated discussions with Apple a couple weeks ago to remove him as chancellor.
"I have had concerns about his performance. I have tried to discuss them with him over this past year, and I have been unsuccessful in improving his performance," Lassner told a crowd of about 100 students and faculty who marched to his offices Thursday to protest his decision to fire Apple the night before.
He mostly read from talking points, and was clearly flustered at times as students and faculty peppered him with questions and at times booed him.
"I had several concerns. One was the financial condition of the campus," Lassner said. "I had concerns about (his) ability to lead a cohesive leadership team. I had concerns about divisiveness on the campus, and increasing zero-sum-game attitudes about who's getting whose money."
Apple announced Wednesday night he was forced out by Lassner, following an unsatisfactory job rating. Apple, who was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary, had three years remaining on a five-year appointment.
The school's Graduate Student Organization and the Association Students of the University of Hawaii organized Thursday's rally, which turned into a sit-in at Bachman Hall, where Lassner's offices are located.
Students blasted Lassner, wanting to know why the evaluation process didn't involve students and faculty.
"We had no opportunity, as the key stakeholders of our campus, to give you input before you made your decision," said Bonniejean Manini, a former chairwoman of the Manoa Faculty Senate.
Lassner said the evaluation process traditionally has not involved outside input, but added that he would revisit the policy.
He defended his decision to keep his discussions with Apple private.
"We went into a negotiation period, and his attorney advised us that Chancellor Apple had committed to him not to talk with the press," Lassner said. "It was during this period that Chancellor Apple began, clearly, to talk with people inside and outside the university, and this became news."
Manoa physics and astronomy professor John Learned said, "You had to have known this was going to cause an uproar."
"That was Chancellor Apple's choice," Lassner said, triggering boos from the crowd. "I haven't enjoyed this any more than you have or Chancellor Apple, quite frankly."
Lassner said the financial crisis at Manoa troubled him most.
He said he became aware of what Apple has characterized as a $20 million annual shortfall in operating funds soon after Lassner became interim president last fall.
"That did not exist in 2012. His vice chancellors have been trying to advise him of this, I have personally been trying to advise him of these challenges, and there was no apparent change in course of action until the freeze was announced, which was announced after we began our separation conversations," Lassner said.
In a July 15 memo, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice.
"As Chancellor Apple's line manager, if he's as bad as he is, shouldn't you be ultimately responsible for his performance? Shouldn't we therefore be talking about your termination?" questioned Margaret Maaka, a professor in the College of Education, drawing cheers.
"It is not my job to manage the Manoa campus. It is my job to try to help the leader of the Manoa campus succeed, and I have done so regularly throughout the course of this year," Lassner replied.
Lassner insisted that outside influences did not prompt his decision. "There was no outside political influence asking me or directing me or pressuring me to remove Tom Apple," he said.
He was asked whether the 14 Manoa deans who nominated him for the permanent president post had lobbied him to fire Apple. "Was there a quid pro quo for your nomination?" Maaka asked.
"No. No. No," Lassner repeated, his voice escalating.
He was also asked whether Apple's two failed attempts to fire UHCancer Center DirectorMichele Carbone factored into the decision. "Whether or not he believed that director should be removed was not a factor in my evaluation,"Lassner said.
Apple has agreed to a settlement that will reassign him as a tenured chemistry professor at a $299,000 annual salary, effective Sept. 1. He also will receive a $100,000 lump-sum payout. His chancellor duties have been rescinded.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on specific statements by Lassner.
He shared a five-page letter he sent Lassner in response to his job rating, outlining initiatives he's implemented and defending his performance.
"You seem to have forgotten that you personally voiced support for my vision for (Manoa) on many occasions,"Apple wrote. "I stood up and took the knocks that inevitably come with such hard decisions, so I admit that I am very disappointed by the absence of support shown by you when controversy arises. ... It appears that this was deliberately done to get the result you wished to achieve -- support for a false claim of unsatisfactory performance."
*** [8/13/14] Bob Jone speculates (MidWeek, August 13, 2014):
What troubles me (from poring over Apple’s defense of himself) is my nagging feeling that much of this was about the unhappiness of a few Big Money contributors to UH Cancer Center when Apple tried to get rid of center director Michele Carbone. Apple makes that accusation himself in this letter:
“Your negative comments in my evaluation about interactions with community stakeholders thus do appear to refer to those few powerful people who support the Director of the Cancer Center, whom I tried to remove with your initial consent.
“Dr. Carbone has driven away two of our top researchers (Goodman and Kolonel), alienated two other top researchers (Le Marc-hand and Wilkens), and angered, alienated and persecuted several others. In addition to this thoroughly embarrassing and truly awful history, Dr. Carbone now requires one full-time $300,000 ‘assistant’ (Blanchette) and another $300,000 advisor (Hinshaw) to oversee his conduct.
“Had you not abruptly and unwisely reversed your earlier position on this issue, we would not now still have dysfunctional, erratic and incredibly expensive leadership at the Cancer Center.”
Those are very powerful accusations against Lassner. They suggest that he bowed to pressure from wealthy community philanthropists who have given heavily to the Cancer Center, and are close friends with and stalwart supporters of director Carbone.
That’s an issue never to be resolved. I don’t expect Lassner to say, “OK, you got me. They told me to either fire you or we lose their money. I chose the money.”
*** [9/18/14]
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Faculty Senate voted 43-16 Wednesday in favor of censuring UH President David Lassner over the group's displeasure with how Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was fired.
The largely symbolic move apparently is a first for a UH administrator, and comes less than three months into Lassner's tenure as president and about two months after he terminated Apple following what he said was an unsatisfactory performance review.
Apple, who was two years into a five-year contract, says he was forced out and blamed for mismanaging Manoa's finances. He contends he was removed for his failed attempts to fire the controversial director of the UH Cancer Center and for budget cuts that angered the medical school dean, but Lassner insists no one influenced his decision.
The Faculty Senate considered amending the censure resolution language to a stronger vote of no confidence, which some equated to a call for Lassner to step down. But that effort failed in a tie vote that Faculty Senate Chairman Ron Bontekoe broke in favor of the original censure language.
The censure vote has no practical effect on Lassner but is meant to convey the faculty's disappointment with the new president.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
less days in classroom, higher scores (I'm just saying..)
Despite spending fewer days in the classroom, public school students continued to make gains in reading and math test scores this year, according to results released yesterday.
And nearly half of Hawaii's schools reached annual progress goals under No Child Left Behind requirements, compared with 36 percent last year, the state Department of Education said.
The improvements on the high-stakes test made for some downright giddy educators, many of whom had been bracing for declines in test scores in the wake of teacher furloughs.
And nearly half of Hawaii's schools reached annual progress goals under No Child Left Behind requirements, compared with 36 percent last year, the state Department of Education said.
The improvements on the high-stakes test made for some downright giddy educators, many of whom had been bracing for declines in test scores in the wake of teacher furloughs.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
seven to one?
This Furlough Fridays nonsense is really tragic. The dirty little secret is that of about 82,000 Department of Education employees, only about 12,000 are in class -- seven employees for every classroom teacher.
Some of these are janitorial, cafeteria, maintenance and security people. But there is an unseen army of tens of thousands of administrators. We could double classroom teachers' pay by eliminating the nonproductive 50 percent of positions.
Meanwhile, the teachers union's entitlement attitude is shameful. For others professions, "preparation days" are called "evenings and weekends."
This mess is the result of a union stranglehold: Public servants become public masters. We beg and plead while their demands rise and the children fail.
Typical of government unions is that front-line people -- police, teachers, librarians -- are used as pawns in demands for never-ending budget increases. Higher taxes are always proposed to solve the resulting public frustration, rather than even considering reduction of the number of thousands of paper-pushers behind the scenes.
We simply have far more government than we can afford, and no one seems to have the fortitude to fix it.
John Corboy
Mililani
Some of these are janitorial, cafeteria, maintenance and security people. But there is an unseen army of tens of thousands of administrators. We could double classroom teachers' pay by eliminating the nonproductive 50 percent of positions.
Meanwhile, the teachers union's entitlement attitude is shameful. For others professions, "preparation days" are called "evenings and weekends."
This mess is the result of a union stranglehold: Public servants become public masters. We beg and plead while their demands rise and the children fail.
Typical of government unions is that front-line people -- police, teachers, librarians -- are used as pawns in demands for never-ending budget increases. Higher taxes are always proposed to solve the resulting public frustration, rather than even considering reduction of the number of thousands of paper-pushers behind the scenes.
We simply have far more government than we can afford, and no one seems to have the fortitude to fix it.
John Corboy
Mililani
Saturday, February 20, 2010
HSTA proposes tax increase
The Hawaii State Teachers Association is proposing to increase taxes on upper-income residents to eliminate Furlough Fridays and provide support for public education.
The teachers union planned to introduce legislation yesterday to create two new higher tax brackets for Hawaii residents making more than $200,000 a year. Combined with other proposals that would increase capital gains and corporate taxes, the state would see more than $500 million in additional revenue each year, the HSTA estimates.
"There's no good solution to furloughs, either this year or next year, without additional funding for the Department of Education. And the only way to do that is to increase revenues," said Jim Williams, executive director of the HSTA, which represents about 13,000 public school teachers and librarians.
***
The teachers now propose that the rates be increased to 10.55 percent for those making $200,000 to $400,0000, and 12.85 percent for those earning more than that. Legislators should reject the proposal for the same reasons Lingle gave for vetoing last year's tax increases. The reasons are even more valid today.
"Although there is the misconception that only wealthy people will be affected," Lingle explained in her veto message, "this bill will adversely impact almost 37,000 persons, of which about 27,000 are sole proprietors, partnerships or subchapter 'S' corporations whose owners report their business income through personal income tax returns. ... This could mean more business closures, layoffs and fewer job opportunities."
Lowell Kalapa, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, said a further income tax hike on the wealthy today would "drive them out of the state ... When we lose all of the people who have the money to start our businesses, what are they (teachers) going to say to their students when there are no jobs?"
***
With regard to the tax question, the Star-Bulletin may be on the side of the well-to-do, but it is on the wrong side from an economic perspective. While the Tax Foundation of Hawaii provides a useful service, we expect Lowell Kalapa (its president) to oppose most tax proposals. That's his mission. That's why the Tax Foundation membership funding comes almost exclusively from businesses and affluent individuals.
If you want to get an economic analysis, ask an economist, not Mr. Kalapa. Carl Bonham, a member of the State Council on Revenues and an economist with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, recently noted that we are not going to cut our way out of the state's budget deficit.
We believe the HSTA proposal can make a significant difference in generating revenue needed to address Hawaii's shortfalls and thereby enable our state to maintain vital services.
The proposal by the HSTA seeks to do this in the most responsible and effective way, not by making the wealthy bear a heavier burden than others, but by asking them to do their fair share. After all, Hawaii tax laws and government incentives are largely designed to support and encourage these individuals and the businesses they own. Consequently, they have the smallest tax burden of any income group at present.
-- Wil Okabe, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
The teachers union planned to introduce legislation yesterday to create two new higher tax brackets for Hawaii residents making more than $200,000 a year. Combined with other proposals that would increase capital gains and corporate taxes, the state would see more than $500 million in additional revenue each year, the HSTA estimates.
"There's no good solution to furloughs, either this year or next year, without additional funding for the Department of Education. And the only way to do that is to increase revenues," said Jim Williams, executive director of the HSTA, which represents about 13,000 public school teachers and librarians.
***
The teachers now propose that the rates be increased to 10.55 percent for those making $200,000 to $400,0000, and 12.85 percent for those earning more than that. Legislators should reject the proposal for the same reasons Lingle gave for vetoing last year's tax increases. The reasons are even more valid today.
"Although there is the misconception that only wealthy people will be affected," Lingle explained in her veto message, "this bill will adversely impact almost 37,000 persons, of which about 27,000 are sole proprietors, partnerships or subchapter 'S' corporations whose owners report their business income through personal income tax returns. ... This could mean more business closures, layoffs and fewer job opportunities."
Lowell Kalapa, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, said a further income tax hike on the wealthy today would "drive them out of the state ... When we lose all of the people who have the money to start our businesses, what are they (teachers) going to say to their students when there are no jobs?"
***
With regard to the tax question, the Star-Bulletin may be on the side of the well-to-do, but it is on the wrong side from an economic perspective. While the Tax Foundation of Hawaii provides a useful service, we expect Lowell Kalapa (its president) to oppose most tax proposals. That's his mission. That's why the Tax Foundation membership funding comes almost exclusively from businesses and affluent individuals.
If you want to get an economic analysis, ask an economist, not Mr. Kalapa. Carl Bonham, a member of the State Council on Revenues and an economist with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, recently noted that we are not going to cut our way out of the state's budget deficit.
We believe the HSTA proposal can make a significant difference in generating revenue needed to address Hawaii's shortfalls and thereby enable our state to maintain vital services.
The proposal by the HSTA seeks to do this in the most responsible and effective way, not by making the wealthy bear a heavier burden than others, but by asking them to do their fair share. After all, Hawaii tax laws and government incentives are largely designed to support and encourage these individuals and the businesses they own. Consequently, they have the smallest tax burden of any income group at present.
-- Wil Okabe, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Malcolm Kirkpatrick on Furlough Fridays
The governor's critics indict the wrong party. State law requires that the governor balance the state budget. The Hawaii Constitution gives the governor no role in setting priorities for the DOE. The governor acted responsibly in mandating cuts to the DOE budget, given that inflation-adjusted (2008 dollars) per pupil revenues have gone from $8,943 in 1991 to $17,626 in 2006 (the last year for which the U.S. DOE has complete figures) and inflation-adjusted (2007 dollars) per pupil current expenditures have gone from $7,152 in 1990 to $11,024 in 2006, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Dilapidated buildings and obsolete textbooks are not due to insufficient taxpayer generosity. The DOE administration has created numerous out-of-classroom positions that raise costs and add nothing to student performance. Past legislatures approved DOE budget requests and mandated numerous wasteful programs within the DOE.
Despite substantial budget increases over the years, student performance, as measured by standardized tests, has barely budged. While the DOE spends more per pupil than the U.S. average (and more than every country on the planet), DOE performance remains in the national cellar. By some measures we are dead last.
Dilapidated buildings and obsolete textbooks are not due to insufficient taxpayer generosity. The DOE administration has created numerous out-of-classroom positions that raise costs and add nothing to student performance. Past legislatures approved DOE budget requests and mandated numerous wasteful programs within the DOE.
Despite substantial budget increases over the years, student performance, as measured by standardized tests, has barely budged. While the DOE spends more per pupil than the U.S. average (and more than every country on the planet), DOE performance remains in the national cellar. By some measures we are dead last.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hamamoto resigns
In a surprise move that was kept quiet for days, the head of the financially challenged state Department of Education has resigned.
In a Dec. 28 letter, schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto—whose department has been forced to cut the public school year by 17 Furlough Fridays this school year and next-- said her resignation was effective yesterday.
The resignation stunned some Education Board members who said they only learned of it yesterday.
State board member Lei Ahu Isa said she heard the news yesterday evening on television. "I'm kind of surprised at this point, but I don't blame her because she must be so frustrated with what's going on with this furlough thing," Isa said.
She said Hamamoto tried hard to resolve the budgetary problems and restore instructional days in talks with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and Gov. Linda Lingle.
Hamamoto and Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi met with members of Lingle's staff Monday to look at ways to increase the number of instructional days.
***
Patricia Hamamoto will continue to participate in talks to end Furlough Fridays for Hawaii's public schoolchildren despite her sudden departure this week as schools superintendent.
"She's not in charge of it anymore ... (but) she said she would continue on the negotiating team," Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said yesterday.
The Lingle administration, state education officials and Hawaii State Teachers Association leaders met Wednesday in yet another attempt to reach a deal that would end or reduce Furlough Fridays. Hamamoto attended that meeting even though she had submitted her resignation earlier in the week.
In a Dec. 28 letter, schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto—whose department has been forced to cut the public school year by 17 Furlough Fridays this school year and next-- said her resignation was effective yesterday.
The resignation stunned some Education Board members who said they only learned of it yesterday.
State board member Lei Ahu Isa said she heard the news yesterday evening on television. "I'm kind of surprised at this point, but I don't blame her because she must be so frustrated with what's going on with this furlough thing," Isa said.
She said Hamamoto tried hard to resolve the budgetary problems and restore instructional days in talks with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and Gov. Linda Lingle.
Hamamoto and Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi met with members of Lingle's staff Monday to look at ways to increase the number of instructional days.
***
Patricia Hamamoto will continue to participate in talks to end Furlough Fridays for Hawaii's public schoolchildren despite her sudden departure this week as schools superintendent.
"She's not in charge of it anymore ... (but) she said she would continue on the negotiating team," Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said yesterday.
The Lingle administration, state education officials and Hawaii State Teachers Association leaders met Wednesday in yet another attempt to reach a deal that would end or reduce Furlough Fridays. Hamamoto attended that meeting even though she had submitted her resignation earlier in the week.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
planning days? you talking 'bout planning days?
What's all this brouhaha about planning days? There are too many already. Our public school teachers get 11 days, including waiver days (whatever those are) and professional development days. On top of that they get early breaks on Wednesdays. And on top of that they get 15 sick days plus two personal days.
Now you ask, where have all those generous times-off gotten us?
Near the bottom of the heap of the national school standing.
Personal calls to the competition — private schools — revealed the following:
» Iolani: Zero planning days, one professional development day, between five and 10 sick days, plus six family days.
» Punahou: Five planning and professional development days and 10 sick days, including up to two personal days.
» Waldorf: Zero regular days off, 10 sick days plus three personal days.
And where do those schools stand? Among the best in the country. One even produced a president of the United States.
I grew up in the German school system, which has generated scientists and inventors of many things. There were zero planning days. People would have laughed at such an idea.
Japan adopted the German school system. That means two scientifically and technologically leading countries in the world work on the same highly successful school system — with no planning days.
Gerhard C. Hamm
Waialae Iki
Now you ask, where have all those generous times-off gotten us?
Near the bottom of the heap of the national school standing.
Personal calls to the competition — private schools — revealed the following:
» Iolani: Zero planning days, one professional development day, between five and 10 sick days, plus six family days.
» Punahou: Five planning and professional development days and 10 sick days, including up to two personal days.
» Waldorf: Zero regular days off, 10 sick days plus three personal days.
And where do those schools stand? Among the best in the country. One even produced a president of the United States.
I grew up in the German school system, which has generated scientists and inventors of many things. There were zero planning days. People would have laughed at such an idea.
Japan adopted the German school system. That means two scientifically and technologically leading countries in the world work on the same highly successful school system — with no planning days.
Gerhard C. Hamm
Waialae Iki
Monday, November 16, 2009
furlough fridays
[12/5/09] Both the governor and an attorney who filed a lawsuit seeking to end Furlough Fridays are blaming the Hawaii State Teachers Association for blocking a deal that would restore lost public school days.
"The only obstacle at this point is the teachers union," attorney Eric Seitz said yesterday at a press conference. "The public needs to know and teachers need to know how badly the teachers union is acting in this matter."
Seitz said he plans to add the HSTA as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit seeking to end Furlough Fridays.
Meanwhile, Gov. Linda Lingle called on the union to continue bargaining next week or put her proposal to end the furloughs up for a vote.
HSTA President Wil Okabe countered that it is the Governor's Office that has dug in its heels.
"The governor and her team have shown no flexibility and have adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach," Okabe said in an e-mail statement. "The HSTA has made viable offers to provide an interim solution, but they have all been summarily rejected by the governor."
Okabe said the governor's proposal would force schools to operate with a skeleton staff, without administrators, health aides, security and others.
"We will not return on furlough days if it means that the quality of instruction will (be) severely degraded or the health and safety of our students will be put at risk, all of which would be the case under the governor's proposal," Okabe said.
***
[11/25/09] this week I have a letter from Abe, who wanted to make a point about teachers’ involvement in the current furlough fiasco.
“I am a teacher and when the union rep came to talk to us, she told us we could accept the offer, or we could go on strike. If we had gone on strike, we probably would have missed more than 17 days. We also faced the possibility that schools would just shut down because (Governor) Lingle had only released enough money to run the schools until December.
No teacher was presented with, “What do you want to do about it?” They told us this is the best offer we can get, if not we will go on strike, or the schools will just shut down, because the money has not been released to run them. The reason so many teachers ratified the contract is not because they were happy to do it, it’s because they felt it was the lesser of all evils.
***
[11/16/09] Gov. Linda Lingle plans to eliminate 27 Furlough Fridays at Hawaii's public schools by tapping the so-called rainy day fund and switching teacher training days to class time.
She said yesterday her plan would restore stability among families and allow the state to focus on quality of education rather than the number of days students are in school.
Under Lingle's plan, furlough days would be restored starting Jan. 1 by using $50 million from the fund, formally the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, and converting noninstructional hours to instructional hours, totaling 15 school days. Noninstructional time includes Wednesday afternoons, when students are let out early to allow for staff meetings.
Parents, state legislators and the teachers union praised Lingle's plan, saying it is a step in the right direction.
"I'm glad that she came around and is making education a high priority," said Garrett Toguchi, chairman of the state Board of Education.
***
[11/13/09] Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that because of the furloughs, Hawaii faces "a heck of a challenge" in qualifying for $20 million to $75 million in federal funds under the Obama administration's $4 billion "Race to the Top" grant program.
Duncan said he is "highly aware" of the actions taken by Hawaii to close public school classrooms 17 days this academic year and an equal amount next year because declining tax revenues have contributed to an estimated $1 billion shortfall in Hawaii's state budget.
He added that the actions of Gov. Linda Lingle, the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the state Board of Education mean eliminating 10 percent of island school days. He said, "To have Hawaii eliminate 10 percent of their day(s) is mind-boggling."
***
[11/11/09] It is not the kind of publicity Hawaii wants, but the state's decision to shut public schools for 17 Furlough Fridays has made a big media splash.
"Hawaii's Children, Left Behind," declared the headline of a New York Times editorial. At the Washington Post, education columnist Jay Mathews wrote a piece with the scathing title "Idiocy in Paradise: Hawaii Handles School Budget Cuts Badly."
***
[10/29/09] As a public school teacher I am unapologetic about the decision to accept furloughs over layoff or pay cuts. Let's recap the last year.
***
[10/26/09] Misunderstanding persists about the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract with the state, which was recently ratified. This is apparent in quotes from several individuals appearing in Star-Bulletin articles, as well as in the letters to the editor. Some writers have seized upon misinformation to attack the HSTA, going so far as to state that HSTA negotiated a new contract with no pay cuts to teachers.
Several writers and even a former governor appear to think the DOE could have balanced its budget merely by cutting teacher salaries. This is simply wrong. It takes a lot more than the money for teacher salaries to run schools. It takes millions of dollars to keep the lights on and the computers and other electrical equipment running and campuses safe. It takes money to operate cafeterias and other services.
Teachers may run their classrooms, but custodians, administrators and a lot of staff are required to keep an entire school operating effectively and safely. These workers also need to be paid. The DOE cannot balance its budget by cutting teachers salaries 8 percent, while continuing to keep schools open the same number of days, with all of the other labor and operational costs that entails.
-- Wil Okabe is president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association
[10/25/09] Gov. Linda Lingle startled other leaders on Friday when she said she goofed by allowing the school teacher furloughs and then blamed the union and Department of Education for approving them.
"I assumed that they would do what was in the best interest of the students, and I don't think they did.
"Looking back, I think it would have been better to stand up and say, 'Well, we just can't settle it this way,'" Lingle said Friday as parents of hundreds of public school students rallied in the Capitol rotunda to protest furloughs.
Wil Okabe, Hawaii State Teachers Association president, yesterday shot back saying furloughs were Lingle's idea as was the 14 percent DOE budget cut that prompted them.
"Let's be honest. The governor got the furloughs ... she asked for. And now the community is angry, she wants to point the finger at others," Okabe said.
* * *
The state's decision to save money by shutting down Hawaii's public schools for 17 Fridays this year has angered parents so much that they are planning to march on the Capitol next week, and some are considering lawsuits.
"When I first heard about the furloughs, we were all shocked and furious because this is going to have the largest impact on the students, and they, of course, are defenseless," said Debbie Schatz, who has a sixth-grader at Aikahi Elementary.
"So parents and community members, an amazing amount of them, are coming forward and voicing their opinions."
A new organization, Hawaii Education Matters, is planning a march at the Capitol from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23, the first scheduled "Furlough Friday" for public schools. Its Web site is hosting a petition drive to "Stop Furlough Fridays." The petition is addressed to the governor, Legislature, Department of Education, school board and teachers union.
"None of us are political activists," said Jennifer Moy, volunteer coordinator for Hawaii Education Matters, formed three weeks ago in response to the furloughs. "We're pretty new at this. We just want a better education for our kids. Our goals are to have the class time restored and to give parents a voice in the debate."
***
[10/19/09] Sandra Togashi is "angry and upset" and feeling the squeeze from all sides. She teaches social studies at Kawananakoa Middle School and has two children in public school.
"Furloughs personally affect my 143 students, my own children, my colleagues and me as a single parent," Togashi says.
So she is watching Hawaii's leaders closely for their response to Furlough Fridays, a budget-cutting plan that is shaping up as a political disaster.
***
[9/23/09] Hawaii's public school year will have 17 fewer instructional days under a two-year contract ratified yesterday by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
The reduction will result in a 7.94 percent pay cut for teachers, as the state attempts to ride out a slow economy and balance its public education budget.
The ratification came with criticism from union President Wil Okabe, who said last night the state should have maintained a commitment to the children and funded their education at appropriate levels with 180 days of instruction.
Okabe said the union is asking state legislators to do the right thing and restore the educational budget.
"The only obstacle at this point is the teachers union," attorney Eric Seitz said yesterday at a press conference. "The public needs to know and teachers need to know how badly the teachers union is acting in this matter."
Seitz said he plans to add the HSTA as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit seeking to end Furlough Fridays.
Meanwhile, Gov. Linda Lingle called on the union to continue bargaining next week or put her proposal to end the furloughs up for a vote.
HSTA President Wil Okabe countered that it is the Governor's Office that has dug in its heels.
"The governor and her team have shown no flexibility and have adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach," Okabe said in an e-mail statement. "The HSTA has made viable offers to provide an interim solution, but they have all been summarily rejected by the governor."
Okabe said the governor's proposal would force schools to operate with a skeleton staff, without administrators, health aides, security and others.
"We will not return on furlough days if it means that the quality of instruction will (be) severely degraded or the health and safety of our students will be put at risk, all of which would be the case under the governor's proposal," Okabe said.
***
[11/25/09] this week I have a letter from Abe, who wanted to make a point about teachers’ involvement in the current furlough fiasco.
“I am a teacher and when the union rep came to talk to us, she told us we could accept the offer, or we could go on strike. If we had gone on strike, we probably would have missed more than 17 days. We also faced the possibility that schools would just shut down because (Governor) Lingle had only released enough money to run the schools until December.
No teacher was presented with, “What do you want to do about it?” They told us this is the best offer we can get, if not we will go on strike, or the schools will just shut down, because the money has not been released to run them. The reason so many teachers ratified the contract is not because they were happy to do it, it’s because they felt it was the lesser of all evils.
***
[11/16/09] Gov. Linda Lingle plans to eliminate 27 Furlough Fridays at Hawaii's public schools by tapping the so-called rainy day fund and switching teacher training days to class time.
She said yesterday her plan would restore stability among families and allow the state to focus on quality of education rather than the number of days students are in school.
Under Lingle's plan, furlough days would be restored starting Jan. 1 by using $50 million from the fund, formally the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, and converting noninstructional hours to instructional hours, totaling 15 school days. Noninstructional time includes Wednesday afternoons, when students are let out early to allow for staff meetings.
Parents, state legislators and the teachers union praised Lingle's plan, saying it is a step in the right direction.
"I'm glad that she came around and is making education a high priority," said Garrett Toguchi, chairman of the state Board of Education.
***
[11/13/09] Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that because of the furloughs, Hawaii faces "a heck of a challenge" in qualifying for $20 million to $75 million in federal funds under the Obama administration's $4 billion "Race to the Top" grant program.
Duncan said he is "highly aware" of the actions taken by Hawaii to close public school classrooms 17 days this academic year and an equal amount next year because declining tax revenues have contributed to an estimated $1 billion shortfall in Hawaii's state budget.
He added that the actions of Gov. Linda Lingle, the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the state Board of Education mean eliminating 10 percent of island school days. He said, "To have Hawaii eliminate 10 percent of their day(s) is mind-boggling."
***
[11/11/09] It is not the kind of publicity Hawaii wants, but the state's decision to shut public schools for 17 Furlough Fridays has made a big media splash.
"Hawaii's Children, Left Behind," declared the headline of a New York Times editorial. At the Washington Post, education columnist Jay Mathews wrote a piece with the scathing title "Idiocy in Paradise: Hawaii Handles School Budget Cuts Badly."
***
[10/29/09] As a public school teacher I am unapologetic about the decision to accept furloughs over layoff or pay cuts. Let's recap the last year.
***
[10/26/09] Misunderstanding persists about the Hawaii State Teachers Association contract with the state, which was recently ratified. This is apparent in quotes from several individuals appearing in Star-Bulletin articles, as well as in the letters to the editor. Some writers have seized upon misinformation to attack the HSTA, going so far as to state that HSTA negotiated a new contract with no pay cuts to teachers.
Several writers and even a former governor appear to think the DOE could have balanced its budget merely by cutting teacher salaries. This is simply wrong. It takes a lot more than the money for teacher salaries to run schools. It takes millions of dollars to keep the lights on and the computers and other electrical equipment running and campuses safe. It takes money to operate cafeterias and other services.
Teachers may run their classrooms, but custodians, administrators and a lot of staff are required to keep an entire school operating effectively and safely. These workers also need to be paid. The DOE cannot balance its budget by cutting teachers salaries 8 percent, while continuing to keep schools open the same number of days, with all of the other labor and operational costs that entails.
-- Wil Okabe is president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association
[10/25/09] Gov. Linda Lingle startled other leaders on Friday when she said she goofed by allowing the school teacher furloughs and then blamed the union and Department of Education for approving them.
"I assumed that they would do what was in the best interest of the students, and I don't think they did.
"Looking back, I think it would have been better to stand up and say, 'Well, we just can't settle it this way,'" Lingle said Friday as parents of hundreds of public school students rallied in the Capitol rotunda to protest furloughs.
Wil Okabe, Hawaii State Teachers Association president, yesterday shot back saying furloughs were Lingle's idea as was the 14 percent DOE budget cut that prompted them.
"Let's be honest. The governor got the furloughs ... she asked for. And now the community is angry, she wants to point the finger at others," Okabe said.
* * *
The state's decision to save money by shutting down Hawaii's public schools for 17 Fridays this year has angered parents so much that they are planning to march on the Capitol next week, and some are considering lawsuits.
"When I first heard about the furloughs, we were all shocked and furious because this is going to have the largest impact on the students, and they, of course, are defenseless," said Debbie Schatz, who has a sixth-grader at Aikahi Elementary.
"So parents and community members, an amazing amount of them, are coming forward and voicing their opinions."
A new organization, Hawaii Education Matters, is planning a march at the Capitol from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23, the first scheduled "Furlough Friday" for public schools. Its Web site is hosting a petition drive to "Stop Furlough Fridays." The petition is addressed to the governor, Legislature, Department of Education, school board and teachers union.
"None of us are political activists," said Jennifer Moy, volunteer coordinator for Hawaii Education Matters, formed three weeks ago in response to the furloughs. "We're pretty new at this. We just want a better education for our kids. Our goals are to have the class time restored and to give parents a voice in the debate."
***
[10/19/09] Sandra Togashi is "angry and upset" and feeling the squeeze from all sides. She teaches social studies at Kawananakoa Middle School and has two children in public school.
"Furloughs personally affect my 143 students, my own children, my colleagues and me as a single parent," Togashi says.
So she is watching Hawaii's leaders closely for their response to Furlough Fridays, a budget-cutting plan that is shaping up as a political disaster.
***
[9/23/09] Hawaii's public school year will have 17 fewer instructional days under a two-year contract ratified yesterday by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
The reduction will result in a 7.94 percent pay cut for teachers, as the state attempts to ride out a slow economy and balance its public education budget.
The ratification came with criticism from union President Wil Okabe, who said last night the state should have maintained a commitment to the children and funded their education at appropriate levels with 180 days of instruction.
Okabe said the union is asking state legislators to do the right thing and restore the educational budget.
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