Furlough Fridays
For the second straight year, this was a no-brainer. While 2009 brought the collapse of the Superferry, 2010 was all about Furlough Fridays. As the economy declined and cuts loomed, the teachers’ union ratified a contract that called for less instructional days. Not surprisingly, the public revolted, and it quickly became clear that the union and Gov. Lingle had to go back to the bargaining table to come up with a different solution. That’s when the dysfunction and mayhem really set in. Barbs were traded in the press, protests were staged and ultimately parents were arrested in the Governor’s office. It was a PR nightmare that brought shame and federal finger-wagging on Hawaii. But most of all it was a huge disservice to our keiki who were caught in the middle. A law passed this year frees up money to ensure no furloughs in the 2010-’11 school year. That’s a start, but the work of improving our state school system has just begun. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: DLNR Reef Damage in S. Maui
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