Parents applaud governor on her 'rainy day' reversal HonoluluAdvertiser.com The Honolulu Advertiser:
"Parents of some Hawai'i public school students yesterday praised Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to tap into the state's 'rainy day' fund and end teacher furlough days from January through 2011."
"This is the rainy day," said Celia Molina, a mother of a first-grader at Kalei'opu'u Elementary School in Waipahu. "We wish that we didn't need to use it, but given the circumstances and the dire need, this is an appropriate use."
It's a position some parents said Lingle should have held before Hawai'i's estimated 189,783 students lost three instructional days — so far — to furloughs.
Allison Mikuni's daughter attends Kahala Elementary School, and Mikuni said she believes that "No one looked at furloughs from the long-term social costs and implication of not educating your future. They were only looking at the fiscal situation, as a dollar-and-cents issue. I appreciate the fact that the governor looked at what has happened and is making the changes as needed."
Lingle announced yesterday that she wants to end teacher furloughs starting in January by tapping into the state's rainy day fund and converting noninstructional days to classroom days.
"Parents of some Hawai'i public school students yesterday praised Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to tap into the state's 'rainy day' fund and end teacher furlough days from January through 2011."
"This is the rainy day," said Celia Molina, a mother of a first-grader at Kalei'opu'u Elementary School in Waipahu. "We wish that we didn't need to use it, but given the circumstances and the dire need, this is an appropriate use."
It's a position some parents said Lingle should have held before Hawai'i's estimated 189,783 students lost three instructional days — so far — to furloughs.
Allison Mikuni's daughter attends Kahala Elementary School, and Mikuni said she believes that "No one looked at furloughs from the long-term social costs and implication of not educating your future. They were only looking at the fiscal situation, as a dollar-and-cents issue. I appreciate the fact that the governor looked at what has happened and is making the changes as needed."
Lingle announced yesterday that she wants to end teacher furloughs starting in January by tapping into the state's rainy day fund and converting noninstructional days to classroom days.