With less than a week before what could be a pivotal court hearing, a federal judge and lawyers involved in two lawsuits that seek to end Hawaii's teacher furloughs may meet privately in the next few days to discuss settling the cases.

Lawyers representing parents of public school students said Tuesday they have not yet heard from U.S. District Judge David Ezra, but they expect to engage in talks with him and attorneys for the state before a public hearing scheduled for Monday.

Ezra recused himself from presiding over the lawsuits last week but was appointed a special master to continue settlement negotiations.

Attorneys in the cases are "on call to meet with him either individually" or as a group, said attorney Eric Seitz, whose lawsuit is on behalf of all Hawaii public school students and their parents

Another lawyer, Carl Varady, is handling the second lawsuit whose plaintiffs are all special education pupils and their parents.

Seitz said Ezra is unlikely to talk extensively with him or Varady because the judge is aware of their position.

"What we desire to do is get kids back to school and then let the Legislature try and fix the problem when they come back in January," Seitz added. "He knows that we are going to be very flexible because we just simply want an interim solution."

Attorney General Mark Bennett, who represents Gov. Linda Lingle and the state Department of Education, would not comment on the talks. Spokesmen for the department and the state Board of Education also declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Varady said state education officials are contacting parents of special education students to discuss ways of regaining instructional time that would be lost to furloughs.

Arrangements for one child were negotiated and the parents have dropped out of the lawsuit, leaving eight sets of parents in the case, Varady said. Continued...