Dozens of parents and educators appealed to state senators yesterday to take action — any action — to find the estimated $60 million to $85 million it would take to cancel teacher furlough days.

At a public meeting before a special Senate committee at the state Capitol, many parents and educators asked lawmakers to return in special session and suggested several options, including the use of the hurricane relief fund, the rainy day fund or a general-excise tax increase.

Several people who testified complained of a lack of urgency and said teacher furloughs send a message to students that their education does not matter.

"I think the thing that's most troubling about the situation is the lack of a sense of urgency," said James Koshiba, the executive director of Kanu Hawaii, a nonprofit community group that has organized rallies against teacher furloughs. "A friend of mine just today likened it to a group of surgeons standing around a person — a patient in need — and arguing over whose responsibility it is to perform the operation while the patient is bleeding to death on the operating table."

But turnout at the meeting — like at a rally at the Capitol last Friday — was smaller than lawmakers expected.

State House and Senate leaders and Gov. Linda Lingle have said that education spending should be taken up next session as part of a larger debate on the state's estimated $1 billion budget deficit through June 2011. The rally and committee meeting did not demonstrate overwhelming public support for a special session, so the public pressure has yet to influence leadership.

Most teachers are scheduled to take 17 furlough days a year under a two-year contract to reduce labor costs and help with the deficit.

The committee, formed after a majority in the Senate signed a petition calling for a special session, chose not to call any expert witnesses yesterday or present any proposed legislation for feedback.

State Sen. Will Espero, D-20th (Ewa Beach, Waipahu), the committee's vice chairman, said lawmakers wanted to first hear from the public and would develop specific recommendations later.

Espero, who wants a special session, said there must be consensus on a solution from all parties and that there is only a small window to act before the next regular session in January.

Espero told students in the audience, including some wearing yellow T-shirts with the words "Future Voter," that they were getting a civics lesson.

"Since you are not in school today, this will be your education," he said. "This will be your lesson in civics and your education on how adults do things and try to get things done."

BROADER SOLUTION

Beyond finding new revenue to offset furlough days, schools can request exceptions to increase classroom instruction time or convert waiver and planning days to instruction time. The state and the Hawaii State Teachers Association could also agree to reopen contract talks and negotiate for pay cuts instead of furloughs.

Two other unions — the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which has agreed to furloughs, and the United Public Workers, which is still in contract talks — represent school personnel and would also likely have to be part of any new agreement.

Randy Perreira, the HGEA's executive director, said in written testimony that lawmakers should not take any legislative action to alter the HSTA contract. Any changes, he said, should be negotiated between the state and the teachers' union.

Perreira also said discussion about using the hurricane relief fund or other special funds to restore lost classroom instruction days is too limited.

"A broader solution to the revenue shortfall is needed that would mitigate the impact of furloughs not only in the Department of Education, but in other vital programs that impact public health and safety," he said.

"The state would be better off raising revenue to make up the furlough savings."

Jo McGarry Curran, a parent involved with Hawaii Education Matters, urged all parties to negotiate toward a solution .

"We are not asking for money where none exists," she told senators. "We are asking for a return to the table to negotiate. And we are asking for it urgently ."

State Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimänalo, Hawaii Kai), called for a management audit of the Department of Education because he believes the department has squandered money on bureaucracy outside the classroom. He reminded parents that it was educators at the department and the teachers' union who opted to schedule furloughs on classroom instruction days.

"They chose to hold your child hostage. Do you realize that?" Hemmings said.

Celia Molina, a parent of a first-grader at Kaleiopuu Elementary School in Village Park, fired back and said there is consensus at both the federal and state levels about investing in public education. "Let's all pull together, stop passing the buck, and stand up and be the leadership we expect you to be," she said.

Other parents, in interviews, said they came to the Capitol with their children to show support for ending furlough days.

"We just can't take this sitting down," said Madeleine Brennan, of Ewa Beach, who attended the meeting with her four children, ages 4, 7, 8 and 11. "I am dedicating my energies to fighting it."

Sharon Wong came to the meeting with her 13-year-old son, Austin. Wong, a furloughed state worker, said she wanted to come to show her son the legislative process in action.

"He can at least get an education by participating in the legislative process," she said.

Enchanted Lake resident Beth Aoki, who has two children, 7 and 4, in public school, said she is optimistic that the furlough days will be overturned.

"To me, it (the furlough plan) shows we've forgotten what's important."

NO OTHER OPTIONS

State schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto and Garrett Toguchi, the chairman of the state Board of Education, say that without more money, there is nothing they can do to reopen schools on furlough days.

"That's the biggest misperception, that we have it in our power to do this. And we don't," Toguchi said during a meeting with The Advertiser editorial board.

Hamamoto added that alternatives other than furloughing teachers were considered, but none of them were viable options.

She also pointed out that though she believes the furlough days will have a negative impact on schools, layoffs would have an even bigger impact.

Hamamoto has said that "thousands" of DOE employees, including probationary teachers, would be laid off if a challenge in federal court to the furlough plan is successful.

Also yesterday, during the editorial board meeting, Hamamoto predicted that student test scores would slide next year — but only because that is what people expect.

"It's a self-fulfilling prophecy," she said. "Everybody expects it to happen."

In the long term, Hamamoto said she believes the furloughs, threat of layoffs and other cuts to education will have many Hawaii teachers calling it quits.

"There may be an exodus of teachers," Hamamoto said. "That is a fear that we have, that teachers will start leaving the profession."

Meanwhile, Toguchi urged parents, teachers and lawmakers to focus less on the current furloughs and more about what will happen to public education over the next two years.

"We haven't seen the worst of the economic" situation in the state, he said. "I think the public has reason to be concerned."