HSTA RA Meeting Notes, Sept. 17, 2015

HSTA RA Meeting Agenda Notes: September 17, 2015

Location: Kea’au High School

Pre-Meeting:

A Place in the Middle is a video resource produced in cooperation with PBS. It is currently being offered free!  It focuses on the story of a young Hawaiian girl’s struggle to be accepted regarding her particular gender roles within her school’s Hula Halau, and the greater culture she lives in.

Approved K-12, content applicable in Hawaiian Studies,  Social Studies, and LBGT Anti-bullying curriculum

Available for screening, free online at aplaceinthemiddle.org

Beginning of Meeting:

Announcements: 

Revision required regarding prior informational meeting minutes: It should be clarified In the minutes that Teacher Institute day will see the Hamakua chapter attached to the Hilo chapter for purposes of logistics. For documentation purposes, this revision was accepted.

Per Wilbert Holck (HSTA Executive Director): HSTA is assembling a task force to investigate cost effective solutions regarding air conditioning in Hawaii schools. Various Solar installation companies may offer solutions cheaper than ones currently being estimated by the state.

Also: HSTA is contesting the claim of ethics violations regarding “free” teacher accompaniment during/with student travel.

2016 Bargaining Considerations:

In the fall of 2016, all 14 public bargaining units contracts will expire; this circumstance is somewhat unprecedented, and is anticipated to incite a “feeding frenzy” regarding contract renegotiations. HSTA’s stance is that the union must prepare to stand firm in order to retain and allocate funds necessary for the advancement of public schools.

Teacher Institute Day General Schedule:

Waiakea Intermediate School’s date: October 14, 2015

Location:  Kea'au High school

Teacher institute day schedule:

7:15-8:15 – registration

7:30 – breakfast

8:45-9:45 – General Session

10:00-10:45 – Session #1

11:00-11:45 – Session #2

12:00-1:00 – Lunch

1:00-2:00 – Open University

Teacher Institute Day Expectations:

All Teachers are expected to attend the scheduled teacher institute day that pertains to them, as it is negotiated as a paid work day.

Teacher institute will also have tables to allow non-member teachers to sign up to join the union:

HSTA is asking that the head reps from each school assist in supporting the signups of new teachers; rosters will be provided for general sign-in, along with the status of the teacher in question. Runners will be available if notified, to offer the signup of new teachers at the membership table.

Tickets will be issued to all attending teachers: 1 for breakfast, 1 for lunch, and 1 for a new red T-shirt. Any T-shirt must be picked up by the teacher who will be wearing it; no proxy pick-ups. More information will follow prior to institute day.

WIS non-members:

Waiakea Intermediate currently has 7 teachers listed as Fee-Paying Non-Members. HSTA has given us the requisite paperwork and requested we contact these teachers and encourage them to sign up.

HSTA would like to remind all teachers to proudly wear red on Tuesdays in support of education.

Voting Information:

Next year, the 2016 NEA RA will be held in Washington, D.C.

This year the NEA chapter and state delegate voting process will be combined. Voting will be done through a polling site. Teachers will be able to request and complete absentee ballots.

Hilo/Waiakea Schools will likely host polling sites in those areas; polling will likely be based on attending school, not residence. More details will be released prior to voting in January.

HSTA State Priorities:

HSTA is holding the following priorities for state consideration (these are not the only priorities, but constitute the ones of primary importance):

1. Allocating funding to support a healthy teacher-student ratio (more classroom teacher positions)

2. Increasing teacher pay in the face of growing responsibilities

Testimonies may be requested by HSTA or the state; in any case, HSTA strongly recommends submitting testimonies, as the raw number of testimonies, (not specifically detailed or compelling ones) is what the state primarily examines when considering the extent to which a response is required.

In the prior year, the HSTA’s following priorities were successfully supported/responded to by the state:

Schedule waivers/exceptions regarding instructional minutes

Funding for School facility upgrades

Possible Payout Concerns:

The upcoming October “bonus” for teachers is a lump sum payout, not a salary increase, and should be reflected in teacher pay stubs for the October 5^th payout.

HSTA is concerned that teachers on unpaid leave (maternity or otherwise) may not receive this payout from the State. HSTA is willing to litigate if this occurs. HSTA is asking that if teachers in this situation do not receive the payout, that schools report it to the union.

Next Year’s School Calendar:

HSTA in currently in consult to make recommendations for next year’s school calendar. They will submit recommendations to the state in November.

PDP’s:

Per HSTA, Administrators do not have the authority to request revision or modification of an IPDP, provided the IPDP already meets all general criteria for acceptance. Admin may request that an individual PDP be adjusted in order to meet the criteria for acceptance, but they may not ask that something be added or changed simply because they would prefer to see it over something else in the plan.