Posted on 10/20/2009 10:00:19 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
In Hawaii, school's out for recession
By MARK NIESSE
Associated Press Writer
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.
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 national educational achievement.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Surf’s up Fridays!
>>Hawaii is drastically cutting the academic calendar at a time when it already ranks near the bottom in national educational achievement. <<
If you want your kid to get an education, you sure don’t send him to schools in Hawaii. Private maybe, but the rest are a joke. This is hardly news. Hawaii is the most socialist state in the US.
Aren’t teacher’s contracts negotiated on a school year? So, if that’s true; are the teachers still getting a full year’s pay, and just getting Friday’s off free? This article leaves more questions than it answers.
Yes, but what are they doing in Kenya?
Has anyone noticed that Kenya has dropped off the media map? Isn’t that a bit odd?
A friend of mine had a brother who used to live there until last year..from what he tells me, there are places and communities that just dont like whitey and the only economic activity that is constant are the businesses surrounding Pearl Harbor.
Maybe it’s time for communities to start “little house on the prarie” type schools. Boy talk about a chit storm THAT would cause.
They are all furlough days. Teachers are losing 8% in pay.
Aren’t teacher’s contracts negotiated on a school year? So, if that’s true; are the teachers still getting a full year’s pay, and just getting Friday’s off free? This article leaves more questions than it answers.
Great catch, you beat me to it. A teacher signs a contract for the school year that covers the time period of 1 July - 30 June. So the only “savings” would be for the amount of energy the buildings use on those 17 Fridays. Also, they may end up screwing the students because a diploma requires so many hours of instrutional hours.
Union whiners ???
Hawaii is the most socialist state in the US.””
Barry got his indoctrination in socialism early.
Thanks ... I re-read the article and had skipped that paragraph. Incidentally 17 days off /180 school days works out to 8.8%. The teachers taking the days off and taking an 8% pay cut seems very fair, IMHO. Given how Socialistic Hawaii is; I have to say that I didn’t expect the teacher’s union to work this closely with the reality of the situation.
Now, given the fact that Hawaii has (or is going to) increase the state’s unemployment insurance rate from $800 to $2,400 per employee - I can only imagine that Hawaii’s tax shortage problem (not to mention unemployment rate) is going to get much, much worse.
Wow....what a paradise for kids, huh?
so you’re saying our President got his education from the least competent public school system in America? I guess that fits..
We live in Hawaii, Kauai to be more specific, and the schools here are awful. The unions are causing all this. The teachers refused to take a pay cut as Hawaii is broke, so Lingle had not choice. Our state’s revenue is gobbled up by something like 80% by paying government workers (unions).... it is amazing. But it IS pretty here!
>>>teachers still getting a full year’s pay, and just getting Friday’s off free?>>>
Good question.
While it would save some $$$ to close one day a week (power, maintainance etc.)...
the teacher checks are the biggest drain.
From the article - The new contract, approved by 81 percent of voting teachers, stipulates 17 furlough Fridays during which schools will be closed, with the first happening Oct. 23. The teachers accepted a concurrent pay reduction of about 8 percent, but teacher vacation, nine paid holidays and six teacher planning days are left untouched.
They may be losing 8% pay but they are getting a sweetheart deal.
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