A Petition for a Special Session on Furlough Fridays is Circulating!

As House Speaker Rep. Calvin K. Y. Say released on his statement today, he announced that there would be upcoming regular sessions to resolve issues of school furlough.

Rep. Say also made it clear that Hawaii Legislature was never a part of the negotiations between the State and members of the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA), as well as the Hawaii Public School Teachers Association.

He stated exactly as follow:

By law, wages and hours of employment of state employees are subject to collective bargaining agreement between the union and state employer (which, for public school teachers, are the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and Governor, not the Legislature). Since the Legislature was not involved in the negotiations, it is inappropriate to engage in after-the-fact criticism or blame of either party for the final agreement. Both the state employer and union had an extremely difficult time. I respect their efforts and the process.

Going forward, the House will consider solutions to the school furlough issue during the upcoming regular session.

Parents and the public, however, should be aware that public education is one of several priorities that will be adversely impacted by the budget crisis. Other state services and employees will suffer because of furloughs and, possibly, layoffs. The Legislature must also consider those state services and employees.

Much has been made for using the hurricane fund to reduce the number of furlough days for public school teachers. That, however, would be shortsighted. The hurricane fund acts as a reserve which, in essence, allows the State to issue construction bonds at good interest rates. If the hurricane fund is depleted, interest rates on those bonds may increase, requiring higher annual debt repayments. Moreover, the hurricane fund has no revenue source to replenish itself. Because of this, the use of the hurricane fund would not be a long-term solution. What will we do in the future after the hurricane fund is depleted?

Solutions to the budget crisis will require a better, more thoughtful and balanced approach combining revenue enhancements and expenditure reductions. The general fund shortfall is over $1 billion, and the savings from furloughs are not enough to close the deficit. To resolve the problem, the Legislature will have to be innovative and courageous enough to make difficult decisions that will inevitably create hardship, but will serve the good of the general public.

The call for furlough rose after the state announced short fall on budget. Government employees were to choose between lay-offs and furlough, of course anyone would choose furlough instead of losing their jobs right?

The core of everything is that the State doesn't have enough money to pay for everyone who is already in their payroll.

But, we ought to know our priorities and with that education should be among our top considerations. The kids, their education, their future shouldn't be compromised at all.

I have niece and her name is Azshlyn. She's 7 and currently a second grader in one Elementary School in Waipahu.

I saw her today in our "pala" as she browsed in one of her books, so I approached her, "no school Azsh?" And she nodded to me. "You like it?" I asked her, "NO!" she answered. I can't imagine getting a big no from Azshlyn. She said she miss her classmates and her teacher, not to mention the "turkey ham sandwich" for their meal every Friday.

Azshlyn is just 7 yet, she knows what the school means to her. Why the State didn't? And so with the teachers who voted yes to Furlough Fridays?

Allow me to end this article by sharing to you what Rep. Neil Abercrombie released today, very interesting statement!

From Rep. N. Abercrombie:

Aloha Everyone, today is the first "Furlough Friday" for our public schools. Somehow, we allowed a single-minded focus on the budget take precedence over the needs of our keiki and now we are about to deprive them of 17 instructional days, creating the shortest school year in the nation. This flies in the face of our values and it jeopardizes our long-term economic and social well-being. How did we get to this point? It's an important question, but not for right now.

Right now, our children need leadership and accountability. We cannot let them suffer any longer just because the adults can't agree on making a shared sacrifice. We need to restore these teaching days first and then tackle the bigger issues of improving our education system and getting our economy back on track.

President Obama designed the federal stimulus program so that states like ours could invest in education by extending school years and enhancing instruction. Since the stimulus package was passed, I've been urging the state to aggressively pursue every single dollar that could be used for this purpose. It requires strong leadership by the governor, and it's one of the main reasons I am running for the office.

But while other states are using federal funds to expand learning opportunities, Hawaii is moving in the exact opposite direction with furloughs. Knowing this, I recently spoke with U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and asked him to look into funds available to Hawaii. He made it absolutely clear to me that Hawaii needs to change this current course and that there are still federal funding opportunities available if we act. These funds alone will not restore the furlough days, but they can help. It requires the governor and others to determine how to use federal funds as part of an integrated solution. We need that solution now.

A group of determined mothers of public school children, calling themselves Hawaii Education Matters, have organized an important rally tomorrow at the State Capitol from 10am to 1pm. If you feel as I do, that we need to put our children first, I encourage you to attend if you possibly can. Not in a spirit of anger, but rather to hold our leaders and ourselves accountable for our children and the future of our islands.

I commend those who are speaking out on behalf of our children, and all the efforts by nonprofits, businesses, teachers, families, and others who are finding ways to support our children through this time. It is this same spirit of civic responsibility that we saw during the Presidential election; a spirit that did not end with the inauguration of Barack Obama.

If any people can emerge from these difficult times stronger than before, it is the people of Hawaii. Stay vigilant, stay involved, and let's work together. Imua Hawaii!