Chaperones taken aback by advice

It was the trip of a lifetime for the seventh- and eighth-graders in Kai­muki Middle School’s Symphonic Winds ensemble, invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and then earning a gold award — the highest honor.

Kaimuki is the first middle school ever asked to participate in the New York Wind Bands Festival, which features high schools, according to Music Department Chairman Derek Fujio. After their concert last month, the 74 students and their chaperones trekked up to Boston for a workshop with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and walked the historic Freedom Trail led by guides in period costumes.

The trip was organized by teachers who traveled free as chaperones, courtesy of Seawind Tours & Travel of Hono­lulu. That’s a common practice for such outings in public and private schools.

But now those educators, like many across the state, are uncertain whether they can keep taking such trips and comply with the state Ethics Code.

Advice issued by Ethics Commission attorneys against free chaperone travel on a similar King Intermediate School trip last month triggered an outcry from teachers and staff as well as confusion. The ethics letter said the code prohibits accepting gifts such as free travel that appear to influence or reward official actions.

But educators say the chance to act as a chaperone for students 24 hours a day on a trip does not feel like such a "gift."

"We were all shocked," said Sam Hankins, a science teacher at Kawananakoa Middle School, which offers annual science trips to the mainland. "What were they thinking? That this is a ‘free trip’? This is a ton of work.

"Instead of telling us we shouldn’t be going, we should be getting a thank-you letter for doing all this extra work above and beyond what we are paid to do."

The Kawananakoa science trips are the week after school lets out, so teachers give up vacation time with their own families to go, he said.

"We’d like to continue doing the trips — the kids get so much out of this," Hankins said. "They get totally excited about something that they’ve learned. We’ve been doing this so long, they come back in high school and college and tell us this is the memory that sticks with them."

Les Kondo, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said the advice letter was specific to the King Intermediate situation. In that case, five teachers chose the tour company, without getting other quotes, solicited students and parents, and were offered a free tour package, a stipend and "points" that could be used for personal items such as iPads.

Based on how the tour was organized and promoted, the commission said the Ethics Code likely prohibited the teachers from accepting the tour package and other benefits.

"We have not examined how educational tours may have been organized at other schools," Kondo said Friday. "The specific facts of each situation are important, and we have not been asked about any other tour."

He added, "We have offered our assistance to the Department of Education to help ensure that, in the future, similar tours are organized in a way that is consistent with the state Ethics Code. We’re here to help. One of the primary responsibilities of the state Ethics Commission is to assist agencies in navigating their way through the state Ethics Code."

Donalyn Dela Cruz, director of communications for the Department of Education, said Friday that the department hasn’t made any changes to the approval proc­ess for such trips, which now entails having principals and complex-area superintendents sign off on travel arrangements.

"The superintendent would like to move this forward to get some clarity," Dela Cruz said. "There has been some confusion from teachers, not knowing, do I pursue this trip or not?"

Ed Broglio, chairman of the Ethics Commission, said he too is eager to resolve the matter so teachers can continue traveling with students on educational trips.

"There is a way to make it happen so it works within the ethics statute," he said. "We want to be sure that our staff is available to get it worked out as soon as possible."

Caroline Oda, former head of school at St. Andrew’s Priory, said chaperones should travel free because teachers are working every minute that they chaperone trips.

"They are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts," she said. "Does the Ethics Commission realize that teachers can’t afford to take students on trips year after year if they have to pay for their travel?"

On the Kaimuki Middle School trip, the 74 students were accompanied by four teachers, the principal and the school’s health aide, who traveled free as chaperones. Nine parents also went along and paid their way.

"The kids were afforded an opportunity that they may never get again," said Principal Frank Fernandes, who added that the school has no budget for such travel.

"The Ethics Commission has a worthy purpose and function, and we accept that," he said. "We really want to advocate, however, for the value of the trips. These trips are predicated on staff having the ability to go along with the youngsters without having to pay for the chance to work with kids."

The Carnegie Hall performance stems from an earlier school trip. Susan Ochi-Oni­shi, who directs Kai­muki Middle’s Symphonic Winds, visited Carnegie Hall with students a couple of years ago as part of a tour.

She remembers thinking, "Wouldn’t it be incredible if our band could perform here?"

She decided to submit a recording of her students for the audition.

"It was really, really a surprise that they would even allow us to participate," she said. "We’re happy that the students did so well. Seventh- and eighth-graders — who knows what they would sound like? The other high schools’ band directors were really, really surprised that we could hold our own."