April 2010

Summer classes offer new start

Colin M. Stewart, Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Officials at Waters of Life Public Charter School hope summer classes will help close a difficult chapter for the school.

The public charter school called an early end to its instructional year after last Friday's classes due to a lack of funds. The school's board said it plans to offer a six-week course of summer classes to keep its students in the loop, Principal Daniel Caluya said.

"We will begin summer school in May and use Title I funds for that," he said Sunday. "We'll be able to get our academic rhythm again."

Read more

Waimea Middle School Adds Another School Day To Its ‘No Student Furloughs’ Commitment

John Colson

To expand on the “Kids First – No Student Furloughs” commitment Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School made for the current school year, its teachers and administrators have now agreed to convert Fri., April 30, 2010, into a regular school day. April 30 was originally set aside as a Professional Collaboration Day with no school for students.

Read more

Hawaii Stifling Charter Schools

Editorial, Star Bulletin

The Obama administration has urged states to remove their caps limiting the number of charter schools that operate at arm's length from conventional public schools systems, but Hawaii is reluctant to do so. The resistance is damaging, as most charter schools have found innovative ways to avoid the furlough days that have hammered the state's traditional system.

Read more

Furlough Free

Susan Essoyan, Star Bulletin

Most of Hawaii's charter schools are staying open on Furlough Fridays, finding creative ways to keep their students learning despite getting less money from the state than other public schools.

Seventeen of the state's 31 public charter schools are taking no furlough days this year, according to the Charter School Administrative Office. Another nine charter schools are taking some furlough days. The remaining five charters are shutting on all 17 furlough days planned for public schools this academic year.

Read more