The struggle between the Hawaii's governor and the Hawaii Government Employees' Association and the Hawaii State Teachers' Association, proposed budget cuts to the Department of Education and the public outcry over possible library closures have all once again brought education back to the forefront.

With DOE schools now back in session and private schools to follow, the quality of education our kids in the Aloha State once again raises a question mark for many families.  Many DOE schools this year, it was reported in the local newspapers, were held up in their planning due to budget cuts, resolved very shortly before pupils began their school year.

But it's not just Hawaii - a quick look at Education Week online shows a whole section called "Education and the Financial Crises," listing many struggles around the nation.

The question is now, how will Hawaii's budget cuts affect the next term or school year? One answer - technology - may be used further to keep educational standards at a high level.

These are some items found around the Internet as a way of keeping costs down yet not sacrificing educational and teaching standards:

A belief that textbooks are on the way 'out.'  The New York Times reported that William M. Habermehl, superintendent of the 500,000-student Orange County schools, believes this change could occur within the next five years, claiming, „[digital textbooks] can be better than traditional textbooks.‰  California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar announced this summer an initiative to use 'open-source' digital versions.

Using moveable technology not only for classrooms, but to allow educators to keep in touch with others through telecommunications equipment, cutting down travel costs, and helping to deal with increased enrollment.

There's a case study recently presented by Phone+ Mag, about a rural, K-12 school district in northwest Georgia, about 45 minutes away from Atlanta and Chattanooga, its nearest big cities. Serving about 7,000 students, the district faced travel budget reductions, growing enrollment and fewer teachers.

Nineteen LifeSize HD video systems were implemented, with two in each of its nine schools and one at the district‚s central administration office. Each school has a stationary LifeSize room unit and a cart-based LifeSize team system that can be moved from classroom to classroom within the school. A 24-port LifeSize multipoint bridge system was also deployed, allowing all of the district‚s systems to connect in a single call.

To procure the systems, Gordon County utilized the federal E-Rate program, which provides eligible kindergarten through grade 12 public schools and libraries 20 percent to 90 percent discounts on approved telecommunications, Internet access and internal connections costs.

The result? Honors and awards from the Governor's office and the Georgia Department of Education, one high school winning the Platinum Award for Greatest Gain of Students Meeting and Exceeding the Standards, and four elementary schools received the Distinguished School Award for making Adequate Yearly Progress for three or more years.

There are many, many more stories like this around the Internet, about the success of implementing technological usage in schools. You can find stances on virtual classrooms, use of electronic games in classrooms, GPS for math studfents and even a discussion on educational points of microblogging on Twitter.