Every minute counts now

After yesterday’s approval of the new contract between the state and Hawaii’s public school teachers, state educators are returning to their classrooms today intent on wrapping up the school year.

With only 30 instructional days left in the school year, state Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen said teachers will spend today preparing for a massive catchup effort for the 14 days lost to the strike and attending “post-strike orientation” meetings at each school.

“It will be a productive time, just to let people know what’s needed as students come back the second day,” he said.

As the graduation dates of the first three days of June loom, Knudsen said administrators are intent on making sure that students are taught as much as possible through May 31.

“That’s a shorter amount of time than the 40-something that would have been there otherwise,” he said. “So we are asking schools to maximize the time remaining.”

In an attempt to make every minute count, Knudsen said the DOE is recommending the “scaling back” or elimination of previously planned field trips and other day-long activities.

While the remaining days of class are important for all students across the state, Knudsen said an emphasis is being placed on making sure graduating seniors get the most out of the next five and a half weeks.

“We’re asking the seniors to stay engaged,” he said.

Rearranging the remainder of the semester will cause certain portions of the curriculum to be sacrificed in favor of more crucial lessons, Knudsen said. But with more than a month remaining, administrators are remaining optimistic.

“There’s still a good amount of time left, so we feel we can get everything we need done,” Knudsen said.

Staff writer Matt Smylie can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 226) and mailto:msmylie@pulitzer.net