Mandatory Friday-Off (School Furlough)

[San Guillermo]

So for over a week, my home state of Hawaii has been talking about furlough days to save money on the budget, especially for the Dept. of Education (Hawaii runs under a unified district). Yesterday, the teachers approved it, so starting October 23, every other Friday will be a "furlough Friday", where we don't go to school, the teachers don't go to work- its basically a shutdown on schools.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... ough+days+

Now, as a student, I for one like the idea of three-day weekends, but I'm amazed that we are that broke that we have to take mandatory day-offs for two years to lessen a debt- and the fact that education is affected shocks me.

So, I'm sorta wondering whether your area is doing something like school furlough days to save money.

[Lunatic Goofballs]

So for over a week, my home state of Hawaii has been talking about furlough days to save money on the budget, especially for the Dept. of Education (Hawaii runs under a unified district). Yesterday, the teachers approved it, so starting October 23, every other Friday will be a "furlough Friday", where we don't go to school, the teachers don't go to work- its basically a shutdown on schools.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... ough+days+

Now, as a student, I for one like the idea of three-day weekends, but I'm amazed that we are that broke that we have to take mandatory day-offs for two years to lessen a debt- and the fact that education is affected shocks me.

So, I'm sorta wondering whether your area is doing something like school furlough days to save money.

I'm sure this will improve test scores immensely.

[Katganistan]

Nope.

[San Guillermo]

I'd like to see that happen, but I doubt it

[NERVUN]

Not really (If they tried that here, the parents would march on the BoE), though I heard they are considering it in California.

[Tunizcha]

Not really (If they tried that here, the parents would march on the BoE), though I heard they are considering it in California.

California's gone to shit under the Governator. We've been furloughing so many government workers it was bound to happen. Especially since they cut so much from education.

[Sarkhaan]

Well, they must still be going a minimum number of days and hours per day, I would assume...


I'd be okay with schools running longer days Monday through Thursday, and having Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off maybe.

[Wilgrove]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

[Non Aligned States]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of furlough Friday if it meant people not being paid during those furloughed hours?

[Maurepas]

Arent teachers salaried? Therefore, the amount of time they work wont affect anything at all?

[Maurepas]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

I skipped half my Junior year because of Katrina, they kept claiming they were going to do something to make up the days, and eventually they just said "we're going to add three minutes to every day" supposedly that would do the trick I guess...

in the end though, we just ignored the fact that we didnt go those days, , probably saved my ass in Algebra...

[Wilgrove]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of furlough Friday if it meant people not being paid during those furloughed hours?

Well this is the government afterall, so adding hours to the other days would make sense to them.

[Christmahanikwanzikah]

My university has and will furlough for "an average of two days a month," but it won't cause classes to be gone on certain days.

Then again, all summer classes were cancelled due to California's budget crisis, so... yeah.

[Meridistan]

Well, as I understand it, the choice our teachers faced was either layoffs (and higher class sizes and such accompanying such an action) or furloughs (which, of course, mean less pay and less instruction time). Shitty choices, but the teachers made their decision. Personally, as a student, I wish UH had done something of this sort, rather than just fire a bunch of professors and minimize the number of available classes. But, that's just how it is.

[San Guillermo]

Well, as I understand it, the choice our teachers faced was either layoffs (and higher class sizes and such accompanying such an action) or furloughs (which, of course, mean less pay and less instruction time). Shitty choices, but the teachers made their decision. Personally, as a student, I wish UH had done something of this sort, rather than just fire a bunch of professors and minimize the number of available classes. But, that's just how it is.

You go to UH? I heard that some of their undergraduate programs were cancelled to new students due to the budget crisis thing.

[Meridistan]

Well, as I understand it, the choice our teachers faced was either layoffs (and higher class sizes and such accompanying such an action) or furloughs (which, of course, mean less pay and less instruction time). Shitty choices, but the teachers made their decision. Personally, as a student, I wish UH had done something of this sort, rather than just fire a bunch of professors and minimize the number of available classes. But, that's just how it is.

You go to UH? I heard that some of their undergraduate programs were cancelled to new students due to the budget crisis thing.

I wouldn't be surprised, though nothing happened to me due to that; I'm not a freshman, so I'm further ahead in line for picking my spots. Of course, it certainly doesn't help that, after going out of my way to get Stegenga (a good professor whom I had taken classes with before), well, this happens: http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200909 ... _span.html

[Conservative Ad Droid]

Hm, interesting, no, at least as far as I'm aware, this is not happening in my area.

This is a pretty stupid choice I might add. I would personally cut welfare and the like before education, but meh, I'm not in charge.

[Non Aligned States]

Well this is the government afterall, so adding hours to the other days would make sense to them.

It's a broke government. I suspect they wouldn't add hours if it meant paying for them.

[Saint Jade IV]

perhaps the Queensland government should consider something like this. Rather than contract teachers meaning that some primary classes have more than 5 teachers in one 10 week term. And then complain about test scores.

But to be honest, if they are increasing the length of days, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

[Sarkhaan]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of furlough Friday if it meant people not being paid during those furloughed hours?

It would still save money on heating/cooling costs, the cost of afterschool janitorial staff (4 days of cleanup instead of 5), transport costs, electricity (fewer hours of people being there before and after school), etc.

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of furlough Friday if it meant people not being paid during those furloughed hours?

Well this is the government afterall, so adding hours to the other days would make sense to them.

possibly because it does make sense.

[Non Aligned States]

It would still save money on heating/cooling costs, the cost of afterschool janitorial staff (4 days of cleanup instead of 5), transport costs, electricity (fewer hours of people being there before and after school), etc

Heating/cooling costs would be about the same, given that they would run on the extended hours. Janitorial staff depends on whether they are kept on call for the duration of the school period and after school cleanup, and whether they are paid by the hour. Electricity comes to about the same, what with people being there for longer periods on the normal days. Transport, maybe.

[Kryozerkia]

So, I'm sorta wondering whether your area is doing something like school furlough days to save money.

We don't have anything like that in regards to education here in Ontario, but we historically back in 1993, had the same thing implemented against the civil servants. The objective was to save money and avoid layoffs; something which was actually successful despite what anyone would have one think to the contrary. O course, this further proves you don't need a 'socialist' government (read: one run by the NDP) to get the "luxury" of Rae Days.

[JuNii]

So for over a week, my home state of Hawaii has been talking about furlough days to save money on the budget, especially for the Dept. of Education (Hawaii runs under a unified district). Yesterday, the teachers approved it, so starting October 23, every other Friday will be a "furlough Friday", where we don't go to school, the teachers don't go to work- its basically a shutdown on schools.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... ough+days+

Now, as a student, I for one like the idea of three-day weekends, but I'm amazed that we are that broke that we have to take mandatory day-offs for two years to lessen a debt- and the fact that education is affected shocks me.

So, I'm sorta wondering whether your area is doing something like school furlough days to save money.

I just like the fact that the teachers were willing to go to Furloughs to save jobs while the State balked and now they're facing layoffs.

[JuNii]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

defeats the purpose of a Layoff.

so no. no longer days, not even a longer 'school year' because it again, defeats the purpose of the furlough.

[Kryozerkia]

Wow, I would not want to be a student in Hawaii. They'd make the school days longer to offset the Friday day off. No thank you.

defeats the purpose of a Layoff.

so no. no longer days, not even a longer 'school year' because it again, defeats the purpose of the furlough.

Would it translate into more homework? Given that there is less classtime, would it mean more work for students on the days they are not in class?