Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed several bills into law allowing the Department of Education to hire teachers as “emergency hires” for three years, permitting waivers if schools want to deviate from the standard school calendar and eliminating a mandate requiring recycled glass in roadway materials.

Abercrombie signed six bills yesterday, bringing his total to 24 measures enacted so far this year. He has until July 12 to approve or veto legislation that passes the state Legislature.

The law dealing with emergency hires of teachers is intended to motivate them to obtain their teaching license, which would help meet federal requirements that they be “highly qualified.”

The glass content requirement for roads was ended because roads are generally better built and glass better recycled than they were in the past.