VICTORY! Ige will air condition classrooms, Message from HSTA President, 1-25-2016

Teachers are deeply committed to the success of every student. View this email in your browser Dear Colleagues, Once again, collective action works. In August, teachers, parents, and students were very vocal and united in demanding that our overheated classrooms be cooled. We told anyone who would listen that our students were sweltering, and learning was impeded when it was so hot.  Governor Ige was listening. He heard each of us and today in his State of the State address announced his ambitious plan to cool 1,000 public school classrooms by the end of this year and additional classrooms each year through the end of 2018. Pat yourselves on the back and know that it was your doing — your years of consistently raising the same concern — that got through to him. And while you’re at it, reach out and thank Governor Ige for taking the initiative to put students first. Further, contact your legislators to let them know how important this is to you and that you appreciate their support of Governor Ige’s plan. We have been talking with you about the importance of collective action for a while -- that, when many voices come together, things get done and changes are made. And now you can see firsthand that it works. Our fight for Schools Our Keiki Deserve does not end here. There are many more changes that need to be implemented, all of which are in our Omnibus Bill. And so, on February 5, we need you to bring yourself, your colleagues, friends, neighbors, and family to the Capitol to rally for our keiki. We need as large a group at the Capitol as possible to send a strong message that we will not back down: Our keiki deserve our help. Let this victory with Governor Ige and air conditioning inspire and motivate you to continue making your voices heard. We did it. Let’s do it again. I will see you at the State Capitol on February 5 at 3:30 p.m. Sincerely, Corey Rosenlee HSTA President     EXCERPT OF GOVERNOR IGE'S SPEECH: Governing in the right way also looks to the future.  For me, our highest single obligation is to take care of our children.  The classroom is a sacred learning space, but students will fail to learn the lessons of their teachers when temperatures soar to over 100 degrees.  There is enough blame to go around.  Our children deserve better from us. We need to cool our classrooms now, in energy-efficient ways that align with our commitment to end our dependence on imported fossil fuels.  Clean energy technology is changing rapidly and it’s becoming more efficient.  The Department of Education has already launched an energy-efficiency program called Ka Hei.  This is a start and we need to take it farther. I am working with the DOE, other state departments, utilities and clean energy companies to cool 1,000 public school classrooms by the end of this year and thousands more each year through the end of 2018.  We are going to get this job done. To start, we will use $100 million of Green Energy Market Securitization funds to immediately install energy-efficiency measures and air conditioning units in classrooms where our children need it the most.  By using existing GEMS program dollars, the Department of Education and its energy-efficiency partner, OpTerra, can quickly access affordable financing for a large portion of its cost to air condition our classrooms.  I know you share my concerns.  Let’s work together to support our kids.  You have my personal commitment that I will do all in my power to serve them.  I’ll work with anyone else who wants to do the same. This, too, is long overdue.   HSTA:  United in the pursuit of excellence for Hawaii’s public schools. Copyright © 2016 Hawaii State Teachers Association, All rights reserved. Mahalo for your engagement. Our mailing address is: Hawaii State Teachers Association 1200 Ala Kapuna Street Honolulu, HI 96819