U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in a telephone conference with West Coast news reporters, again scolded Hawaii for its decision to furlough teachers for 17 school days, and said the move could hinder the state’s ability to garner competitive federal grant money through the “Race to the Top” fund.

“There’s got to be a better way,” Duncan said. “When you have tough budget times, what you do with scarce resources reflects your priorities. I don’t know anyone who could make a case that eliminating 10 percent of your school days is good for Hawaii.”
The comment was made after the secretary announced the official start of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund competition. Race to the Top represents the largest-ever federal investment in school reform. According to the criteria, Hawaii, along with 15 other states of similar size, is eligible to compete for funds ranging anywhere from $20 million to $75 million.
Duncan said with the furlough days in place, Hawaii has weakened its case to receive a portion of those federal grant dollars.
“We encourage Hawaii to put it’s best foot forward. But Hawaii would have to make an absolute compelling case that going to school 10 percent less time will both close the achievement gap and raise the bar,” he said. “Frankly, that’s a heck of a challenge.”