Lengthy strike may The strike by Hawaii's 12,000 public school teachers is having a ripple effect all the way to San Antonio.
cancel standards
assessment test
The exam was to help
By Crystal Kua
establish a base line
of proficiency levels
Star-Bulletin
That's where 55,000 test booklets are sitting and waiting to be delivered to the islands.
And that's where they may stay for the next year if the strike continues until Monday.
One of the first casualties of a long strike could be state schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu's new test to assess how well students have met academic standards. The potential cancellation of the test this year could delay LeMahieu's plans of implementing an accountability system of rewards, assistance and sanctions, Department of Education officials said yesterday.
The strike is in its seventh day today. The latest developments:
>> School for about 39 students on Niihau is scheduled to open today. The school's two teachers were expected to resume instruction to all grades. No other schools are slated to be reopened.
>> Gov. Ben Cayetano is expected to receive a visit by Hawaii's U.S. Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka today. Earlier this week, Inouye met with legislative, Democratic Party and union leaders to discuss both strikes.
Inouye reportedly told local Democrats that the strike should be settled quickly, but did not have specific suggestions.
>> No talks are scheduled today, but both sides said they will continue to work toward a settlement after meeting informally yesterday. "We have commitments to keep talking," HSTA Executive Director Joan Husted said.
>> The Department of Education said 148 teachers reported to work yesterday, while the Hawaii State Teachers Association put the number of teachers crossing the picket line at 134.
Selvin Chin-Chance, the DOE's test expert, said that if the strike is not settled by Monday, the department is going to scrap the test, known as the Hawaii Assessment Program, for this year.
The department was scheduled to administer the first full-fledged standards assessment in reading, writing and math this month.
The test was supposed help the department establish a base line of proficiency levels of how well students were meeting standards.
When the possibility of a strike grew closer, the department decided to hold off shipping the tests to schools until there was a resolution.
The test booklets are now with test developer Harcourt Educational Measurements in San Antonio and could stay in storage until the department decides what to do next.
The cancellation of the test this year could pose other problems for the department as it strives to implement LeMahieu's three-prong educational reforms of standards, assessment and accountability. "It's going to be a mess," Chin-Chance said.
The issue of accountability has also played a role in the current talks. The governor said he does not want to settle the contract without some component of accountability written into it.
But teachers said they have already started the ball rolling and welcome higher expectations of teachers along with higher salaries.
"We're not afraid of accountability," said Waipahu Elementary teacher Sean Saturnio, who was at the state Capitol yesterday lobbying lawmakers.
Husted said the union's proposals includes items such as peer assistance and review, a new teacher evaluation system and performance-based salaries.
"Good teachers don't like bad teachers," Husted said.
DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said that although the department has not compiled a list of events at risk as the strike continues, schools are looking at whether proms and other activities could be canceled.
The Department and Board of Education will also have to consider what to do about the current semester if the strike drags on for 20 school days or more. Today is the fifth school day of the strike.
Joan Lewis, vice president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, will be the guest in a starbulletin.com chat session tomorrow from 8-9 p.m. If you have questions or comments for Lewis, go to Starbulletin.com's home page and follow the links to the chat. Chat up HSTA
>> HSTA Web site
>> UHPA Web site
>> State Web site
>> Governor's strike Web site
>> DOE Web site
HILO >> Big Island Mayor Harry Kim told striking professors that both sides need to resume negotiating immediately, but did not offer to intervene. Big Island procession
By Rod Thompson
brings hope for an end
Big Isle correspondent"Both sides better get off their rear ends," Kim told 400 faculty members and students yesterday who had marched from a shopping center near the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
The marchers also met with governor's representative Al "Butch" Castro, who thanked them for their polite behavior but, like Kim, offered no assurances.
Outside the doors of Kim's office, faculty union Director David Miller thanked Kim as a representative of the community for "tremendous popular support."
He also thanked Kim for cooperation from the police department.
Kim's response was noncommittal. "I did not and will not say what is popular," he said.
The financial situation of the state will not have changed a month from now, so there is no point in waiting a month to come to a settlement, he said.
Kim, a former teacher, noted that he comes from a family of teachers. But he made no specific reference to professors, a failure to provide specific support for the faculty that Miller had noted in previous comments by Kim.
Despite the lack of commitments from Kim and Castro, faculty members declared the march a success.
Miller had hoped for 200 marchers. When 400 turned out, including full-time professors, part-time instructors not on strike, community college instructors and students, Miller said it was one of the largest demonstrations ever in Hilo. "We made history," he said.
Union President Alexander Malahoff, who flew to Hilo to lead the march, was also upbeat.
"Ben (Cayetano) said he wanted strength. This is strength. We are solid and unyielding in our resolve," he said. But he also declared the union is willing to negotiate. "We are almost there," he said. "This may be the turning point. Hilo has done this. Mahalo nui loa."
Malahoff later said he was offering his personal view of what influences the governor.
"My interpretation of how the governor functioned in the past is, he wants to see strength. He wants to see community support," Malahoff said.
The union has taken high moral ground, he said. Faculty members have not shouted insults, he explained. "We're treating him with dignity."
Gov. Cayetano could not be reached for comment.
This afternoon, a rally is planned for faculty and students at 3 p.m. at Wailoa State Park.
>> HSTA Web site
>> UHPA Web site
>> State Web site
>> Governor's strike Web site
>> DOE Web site