Jeanne Mariani-Belding: Regarding the tentative agreement, can you tell us if additional funds (over and above the $50 million) will be needed or will this new agreement be financed by additional cuts?

Wil Okabe: While we can't provide details until both sides gain approval from their respective leadership, we can tell you that we have a reasonable agreement that will allow us to return students to the classroom, safely. We will aim to do this as quickly as possible.

Bridina Duck: Is there a possibility of reducing the number of furloughs, or is it an all-or-nothing kind of thing?

Wil Okabe: The governor has made this an all-or-nothing proposition — the teachers are willing to compromise so long as that compromise is part of a workable plan that doesn't jeopardize the safety and welfare of our children.

Trina: Why were teachers trying to get out of their agreed contractual obligations to watch children at lunch, recess and after school? Don't they care about the health and safety of their students?

Wil Okabe: The health and safety of our children has always been a priority for teachers. The governor has distorted our position — we discussed the potential of having principals and vice principals step in to supervise children so that teachers could adequately prepare lesson plans — teachers are not looking to avoid supervising children, we are just trying to find workable solutions.

Kathy: Why did talks with Gov. Linda Lingle break off?

Wil Okabe: The governor's team broke off negotiations — we were surprised and disappointed that they walked out.

However, we continued to meet with the DOE and BOE to work to a reasonable solution, which is how we arrived at our tentative agreement (Wednesday).

It's important to remember that a teacher cannot walk into a classroom and teach effectively any more than an attorney can represent a client without doing preparation for a trial. Teachers were also unwilling to accept the governor's condition that only some teachers and school personnel would come back on restored furlough days. Schools cannot run safely and we cannot teach effectively without administrators and their staff, counselors, health aides, librarians, educational assistants and all the other people who take care of special needs children.

It's not really negotiating if we offer to make viable options that the governor dismisses. Saying take it or leave it is not negotiating.

The plan the governor put forward would have left a $20 million shortfall in education funding. That would have forced the elimination of essential programs and required services for students. It would have meant increased class sizes and layoffs of state employees.

The governor's plan would have undermined the quality of education and jeopardized the health and safety of Hawai'i's children. That's why we were opposed to it. In addition, the governor's plan would have placed Hawai'i at an insurmountable disadvantage in securing $75 million in federal funding under the Race to the Top program.

Lee: According to Linda Smith, the governor's team walked out because HSTA said teachers like their furlough days and didn't want to give them up. Is this true?

Wil Okabe: Our teachers would much rather be in the classrooms doing the job they love to do — teaching. We never wanted a single furlough day. The governor wanted three furlough days a month, and restricted the DOE's budget by an equivalent dollar amount. The DOE was forced to cut programs and lay off personnel. Teachers took an 8 percent pay cut in order to reduce the number of furlough days from 34 to 17 and to avoid cutting the number of teachers in our schools. Teachers have voted to voluntarily give up planning days at 184 schools. Teachers have gone the extra mile to restore instructional time, including giving up planning days and modifying class schedules. We didn't want the furlough days to start with, and we don't want them now. The governor demanded the furloughs and now that she finds they are very unpopular, she's trying to redirect the blame.

Linda K: Why can't teachers work just one day without every single school worker on campus?

Wil Okabe: That brings up the question of which workers we would go without: The school nurse? The cafeteria workers who feed the children? The vice principals, custodians and security personnel who keep the school safe? The crossing guards? It's important to remember that teachers are just one part of every school. The other workers are essential also. We all need to work together if our children are going to have safe and effective schools. We can't agree to a situation that would jeopardize the health and safety of our children.

Loren Moreno, education writer for The Advertiser: Can you tell us whether this tentative agreement reduces some or all of the remaining 27 furlough days? Also, will this agreement require a ratification vote by members, or a signature from the governor? To what extent is the Legislature involved with this agreement?

Wil Okabe: I can't discuss the specifics of the tentative agreement until our negotiating committee and Board approve it, but it does reduce the furlough days. The agreement would be outside the master agreement and would not require another member vote. The Legislature would be involved in approving the funding for this agreement.

Jo: What is the status on the drug testing for teachers?

Wil Okabe: We agree that the safety of our children is a priority and we have already agreed to testing teachers when there is reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol abuse. We are awaiting a decision by the courts on the constitutionality of random drug testing of teachers and will abide by the courts' decision.

Makai-mauka: Why don't teachers sacrifice planning days and go back to classrooms already?

Wil Okabe: All along, teachers have been willing to sacrifice — teachers have voluntarily agreed to give up planning days at 184 schools across Hawai'i. Beyond that, we have continued to offer more options to reduce furloughs, and are pleased that we have been able to work with DOE and BOE to come to a tentative agreement that requires all of us to sacrifice.

It's really important for the public to understand that planning days are there for a reason. Teachers need to plan out their work and that changes with every class, every year, every week, every day. The teachers who have given up those planning days are now doing that on their own time, meaning that they are working extra hours for no pay. They already work an average of 15 hours a week without pay, coming in before and after school to help students, correct papers and prepare their classrooms.

Many do not realize how difficult it is to improve student learning, test scores and graduation rates without being able to plan lessons and proper techniques in advance — we know that by shortchanging the planning and curriculum development process, the recent gains the state has made in test scores and graduation rates will be jeopardized. Moreover, we will likely hurt our chances to meet the No Child Left Behind requirements.

For the union, any such change in working hours must be part of a negotiated settlement, and we have already agreed to the terms under the current contract, which imposes an 8 percent pay cut on teachers.

Kyle: The governor made a concession of $50 million to get the kids back in school; what are you willing to give up?

Wil Okabe: Hawai'i's teachers have given up quite a lot already. They have taken an 8 percent pay cut, or more than $5,000 a year for the average teacher. At 184 schools around the state, teachers have voluntarily given up planning days — the days they use to put together their lesson plans — in order to reduce the loss of instructional days. That means teachers have to do that work on their own time, beyond the hours they already contribute for which they aren't paid. The reason we have the furlough days is because the governor demanded them, imposing budget cuts on the schools equivalent to three furlough days a month. That is the reality that the teachers have been saddled with by the governor.

L. Leong: What is the hourly rate for a starting teacher and how do they compare to the other 49 states? How many teachers are dismissed each year for non-performance? Why doesn't HSTA advertise their concerns about the public school facilities like they are addressing other concerns?

Wil Okabe: The starting teacher's salary is approximately $45,000, and if you factor in Hawai'i's cost of living, as I mentioned earlier, we are last in the nation in terms of teacher pay. I don't have the exact numbers on how many teachers are dismissed each year.

Regarding public school facilities, we are concerned about facilities and the safety of students. All of us need to work collaboratively to fund education.

Pearlcitykine: How do Hawai'i schools compare to Mainland schools academically?

Wil Okabe: While we are not at the top of the nation academically, we have made impressive gains in recent years in test scores and graduation rates. We believe that by funding education appropriately, we can continue these gains and even accelerate our students' learning.

Uncle Charlie: Why did you agree to furlough days in the first place?

Wil Okabe: We never wanted any furlough days. We negotiated for a lower number of furlough days than the governor had demanded. The governor wanted three furlough days per month, and she imposed a 14 percent cut in the education budget. We made what we thought was the best possible deal under the circumstances for Hawai'i's children and teachers. And this deal has been painful for teachers, who have taken an 8 percent pay cut. We never wanted a single furlough day. We'd be happier teaching a full school week every week and a full school year.