Recession to send students in Hawaii home a day early
Teachers OK furloughs, closing schools on Fridays

By The Associated Press Comments 0
Published: October 20, 2009

HONOLULU — At a time when President Barack Obama is pushing for more time in the classroom, his home state has created the nation’s shortest school year under a new union contract that closes schools on most Fridays for the remainder of the academic calendar.

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The deal whacks 17 days from the school year for budget-cutting reasons and has education advocates incensed that Hawaii is drastically cutting the academic calendar at a time when it already ranks near the bottom in the nation in educational achievement.

While many school districts have laid off or furloughed teachers, reduced pay and planning days and otherwise cut costs, Hawaii’s 171,000 public schools students now find themselves with only 163 instructional days, compared with 180 in most districts in the U.S.

"The 16-year-old in me is pretty excited that I’ll be able to chill on those days,” said Mark Aoki, a junior at Roosevelt High in Honolulu. "But overall within me, what I truly believe is that we’ll regret this.”

The cuts come as Obama says U.S. students are at a disadvantage with other students around the world because they spend too little time in school.

The deal in Hawaii has parents and education authorities up in arms, including families now scrambling to find day care for the off days.

Parents of special-needs students are considering suing the state, and advocates believe the plan will have a "disparate impact” on poor families, ethnic communities and single parents.

The new contract, approved by 81 percent of voting teachers, stipulates 17 furlough Fridays during which schools will be closed, with the first happening this week.

The new agreement also guarantees no layoffs for two years.

Teachers probably wouldn’t have voted for the contract if they had to work the same amount for less pay, paving the way for the shorter school year, said Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe. He also said the state couldn’t get the necessary savings if teacher furlough days were scheduled for holidays — or workdays with schools kept open.

Hawaii has the nation’s only statewide school district, meaning that state government pays directly for education instead of self-supporting local school districts.

More than a quarter of the state’s general budget goes to the state Department of Education.

Hawaii Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto acknowledges that learning time will be lost and students will suffer.

However, she said schools will try to increase their efforts during the remaining school days.