Dumb and Dumber

Just when you thought it couldn't be easier to go to school here in Hawaii...Not only are most schools a year behind the mainland, most months rarely have 5-day weeks, and Wednesdays are half days. This week, an agreement was settled between Governor Lingle and the teachers' union in order to cut back $117 million from the state budget. (They are hoping to cut a total of $227 million). The teachers get a 7.9% pay cut and will be furloughed for 17 days throughout the remainder of the school year. What it shakes down to is that there will be 4-day school weeks for the rest of the year, with the exception of 2 full weeks in April. In return, the teachers are guaranteed not to get fired for the next 2 years. Quite an upheaval. Parents are scrambling for child care on furlough days, rounding up some independent study groups, and otherwise wondering how to make up for the loss.

Why do I feel like I'm getting pushed closer and closer to the edge of falling into the Great Schooling Abyss?
With apologies...