President Wil Okabe testifies on funding to end furloughs
(Excerpts from testimony before the House Finance Committee, March 25, 2010)
SB 2124, SD2 - RELATING TO THE HAWAII HURRICANE RELIEF FUND
Chair Oshiro and Members of the Committees:
The Hawaii State Teachers Association supports SB 2124, SD 2, that makes an appropriation from the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund to restore all remaining lost instructional days for the 2009 - 2010 and the 2010 - 2011 school years that have been negotiated pursuant to the collective bargaining process established under Chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, with the understanding that a proportionate amount will be dedicated on a per-pupil basis to alleviate the impact of reductions in funding to charter schools for the 2009 - 2010 and 2010 - 2011 school years...
...Although HSTA and Board of Education representatives briefed House and Senate leadership prior to announcement of the agreement, this is my first opportunity to present testimony to a legislative committee since the announcement, and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify certain matters that may have generated confusion:
- Supplemental agreements are between the HSTA and the Board of Education pursuant to HRS 89-6(e).
- Negotiations have been completed. Subject to teachers voting to approve the supplemental agreement on March 31, 2010, the agreement will be submitted by the Board of Education to the legislature for funding.
- The Governor's role is to approve (or veto) appropriations bills and to release (or not) funds that may be appropriated. The HSTA will not re-negotiate the supplemental agreement with the Governor.
- Both the HSTA and the BOE/DOE are very concerned that the approach to funding the supplemental agreement not be a matter of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." If the DOE budget is reduced in other areas to compensate for restoring instructional days, then the students still will be the losers. For this reason, the HSTA believes that utilizing money from the Hurricane Relief Fund is the approach that will enable funding without detracting from the DOE budget...
...Teachers, as well as everyone in our community, want an end to furloughs, and we believe this bill will go a long way toward making that happen.
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