Member Matters: Bargaining session held; Thousands of teachers send in photos of support; School impact fee public hearings scheduled; Early voting!, posted 10-29-2016

Thousands of teachers send 'red for ed' photos for Friday bargaining session   Teachers from at least 105 public schools across the state sent in "red for ed" photos of support to HSTA's Negotiations Team members as they sat down for their third bargaining session with the state Friday. Watch a special video with photos from teachers statewide. Teacher photos lined the walls of the HSTA conference room where Friday's bargaining session was held. More than 2,300 HSTA members posed in photos of support for HSTA's bargaining team and emailed them in this week. HSTA Negotiations Team. Front row, L to R: Shannon Kaaa, Diane Mokuau. Back row: Corey Rosenlee, Paul Daugherty, Osa Tui. McKinley Registrar Osa Tui, chair of HSTA’s Negotiations Committee, said, "As negotiations progressed, I was enamored by seeing your faces as they towered over the employer group while you stared down at them." Some walls in HSTA's Conference Room A got a makeover, thanks to photos from teachers across Hawaii. Watch a special video with photos from teachers statewide. HSTA's SPED Committee made a presentation to the employer during negotiations Friday, detailing the concerns of special education teachers. From L to R: HSTA SPED Committee members Dawn Raymond from Waiakea High, Dale Matsuura from Roosevelt High and Nancy Sakamoto from Solomon Elementary. The next bargaining meeting will be held after the Thanksgiving holiday. HSTA's contract with the state expires June 30, 2017.   BOE seeks applicants to replace schools superintendent The Board of Education plans to discuss beginning the process to search for a superintendent of Hawaii’s public school system at its Nov. 1 General Business Meeting. The proposed action calls for the BOE to form a committee to, among other things, determine the process and timeline for the search as well as the composition of the group performing the search.  It is anticipated that the BOE will conduct its search over the coming months, with the hopes that a successful candidate will begin employment on July 1, 2017. This proposed action is being initiated in anticipation of the ending of the contract term of current Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi (June 30, 2017), the BOE said. “This is an ideal time to transition to new leadership that will help the DOE continue its efforts to reduce the achievement gap and prioritize achievement for all students,” said BOE Chairperson Lance Mizumoto. Read HSTA President Corey Rosenlee's comments about superintendent changes here.   Public hearings to be held on urban Honolulu school impact district  The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) will hold two public hearings on a proposal to create a School Impact District for the neighborhoods along the Kalihi to Ala Moana portion of the Honolulu Area Rapid Transit route. The Board of Education requested the hearings in anticipation of residential growth in those areas and will vote on whether to approve the new district. The impact district would require residential developers or homeowner/builders to pay about $9,374 per unit in impact fees to help cover land and construction costs for new or expanded schools. “We encourage teachers to testify and tell the Department of Education why developers need to help shoulder the burden for new or improved public schools in the urban Honolulu area,” said HSTA President Corey Rosenlee. “So many of our schools need new facilities and these funds would help them improve for children in town.” Public hearings will be held: Wednesday, Nov. 2 Farrington High School Library Conference Room 3 to 5 pm. Thursday, Nov. 3 McKinley High School’s Hirata Lecture Hall 5 to 7 p.m. Public comments on the proposal can also be submitted in writing to the Department of Education. You can email the comments to: heidi_meeker@notes.k12.hi.us. Read more about the school impact fee proposal here. HIDOE already collects school impact fees in Maui and Leeward Oahu. Copies of the written analysis of the proposed Kalihi to Ala Moana district, including a map of the district, are available by contacting the HIDOE Planning Office at 784-5080. Copies are also posted on the HIDOE website at: http://bit.ly/ImpactDistricts.   Early voting underway; HSTA recommends General Election political candidates Early walk-in voting has begun across the state and will continue through Nov. 5. See a list of early voting sites and hours here. Voters have until Nov. 1 to request a mail-in ballot. Late voter registration ends on Nov. 5, just three days before Election Day on Nov. 8. HSTA board members sign wave with State Senate candidate Stanley Chang. After a lengthy process that included a candidate questionnaire, interviews, and a review of voting history, HSTA’s Board of Directors, in concurrence with the HSTA Government Relations Committee, recommends teachers vote for the following candidates in the General Election. Read the full list of HSTA's State House and Senate recommended candidates here. In the presidential race, the HSTA recommends Hillary Clinton, a Democrat. The HSTA recommends the re-election of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D) as well as U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D), representing rural Oahu and the neighbor islands in Hawaii’s Congressional District 2. The HSTA also recommends sending Colleen Hanabusa (D) back to Congress in the 1st Congressional District seat she previously held representing urban Honolulu in the U.S. House.   ESSA team travels to Moanalua to unveil draft blueprint to improve public schools   Gov. David Ige’s Every Student Succeeds Act Task Force will hold a final follow-up community meeting to share findings and focus on a draft blueprint for public education in Hawaii. Teachers are encouraged to attend and give feedback on the initial plan for improving Hawaii's public schools. “First, we will share the findings of input and feedback received from town hall meetings. Second, we will unveil a working draft or outline for a new blueprint for public education in Hawaii,” said Darrel Galera, a retired public school principal who chairs the ESSA Task Force and was just appointed to the Board of Education. “We also want to collect more specific input, feedback and advice for a final version of a blueprint for public education in Hawaii.” The final meeting will be held on Oahu: Nov. 2: Moanalua High library, Oahu, 6 to 8 p.m. Register for the Nov. 2 Moanalua High ESSA forum here.   HSTA's next social justice workshop features Kumu Hina teaching her gender diversity curriculum, "A Place In The Middle." The workshop will be held at HSTA's Red Hill headquarters on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register for Nov. 12 Place in the Middle Kumu Hina workshop. Take NEA survey; you could win an iPad mini  The National Education Association (NEA), Corwin and Learning Forward want to know how professional learning impacts your teaching and your students’ learning. The following survey measures how your professional learning aligns with the Standards for Professional Learning, which outline the characteristics of professional learning that lead to effective teaching practices, supportive leadership, and improved student results. Please take 20-25 minutes to complete this survey. You could win one of three iPad minis. NEA will share survey findings with leaders across the country to deepen their understanding of the learning you experience and to influence ongoing improvement. Teachers’ voices are essential to this process, so thank you for sharing your experience. Please complete survey by Monday, Oct. 31. To thank you for your participation, we will enter everyone who completes this survey into a raffle to win one of 3 iPad minis. The winner will be announced by Nov. 7.   Benefits of Belonging, retirement planning and Degrees Not Debt workshops The Membership Services Committee brings you a host of workshops over the next couple of months. First, come find out your benefits of belonging to HSTA and how we are here to support you. Get connected to:  Our HSTA community and member benefits HSTA VEBA Trust insurance plans and protection  Our HYPE (Hawaii Young Professional Educators) program for new educators Professional development courses  Benefits of Belonging meetings: Hamakua Chapter Friday, Nov. 4 4:30 p.m. Thelma Parker Memorial Library Conference Room 67-1209 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela (Next to Waimea Elementary) RSVP ASAP Sign up for Nov. 4 Hamakua/Waimea Benefits of Belonging. Kona Chapter Thursday, Nov. 17 4:15 p.m. Kealakehe Intermediate Library Workroom RSVP By Nov. 4  Sign up for Nov. 17 Kona Benefits of Belonging Retirement Workshops: Honolulu/Central Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Thursday, Nov. 17 4:30 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP for Nov. 17 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA Hilo "Are you on track to retire?" Workshop Friday, Nov. 18 5:30 p.m. Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Mala Ikena Room RSVP by Nov. 4. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and the number of people you are bringing to the workshop. Hosted by our NEA retirement specialists. Please RSVP to Jeannie at 808-969-6722 Honolulu "Are you on track to retire?" Workshop Wednesday, Nov. 30 6 p.m. Side Street Inn, Kapahulu Avenue RSVP by Nov. 22. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and the number of people you are bringing to the workshop. Hosted by our NEA retirement specialists. Please RSVP to tereen@shiraishifinancialgroup.com Leeward Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Thursday, Dec. 1 4 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP by Nov. 22 RSVP for Dec. 1 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA "Are you on track to retire?" Workshop Monday, Dec.19 6 p.m. Waikele Golf Course RSVP by Dec. 8. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and the number of people you are bringing to the workshop. Hosted by our NEA retirement specialists. Please RSVP to tereen@shiraishifinancialgroup.com Central/Honolulu Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Tuesday, Jan. 24 4 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP by Jan. 10 RSVP for Jan. 24 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA HYPE Degrees Not Debt workshop Do you have federal student debt and are unsure of whether you qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs such as Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), Teacher Loan Cancellation (TLC) and/or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?  Wednesday, Nov. 16 4:30 p.m., in-person workshop 6:30 p.m., online virtual workshop HSTA headquarters, Red Hill Read the NEA's degrees not debt page. OPEN ENROLLMENT OCTOBER 1-31, 2016 The HSTA Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association Trust is offering Active HSTA members an OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD for: Critical Illness Insurance (CII) Long Term Income Protection (LTIP) Plan effective date is Jan. 1, 2017. Learn more at HSTA VEBA Trust's website, www.hstaveba.org or call 808-440-6940 or 1-800-637-4926 (toll free from neighbor islands).   Nominations being accepted for Pono and Friend of Youth awards HSTA’s Youth, Human, and Civil Rights (YHCR) Committee is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the annual Friend of Youth Award and Pono Award. The Friend of Youth Award honors an outstanding individual from the community whose work has positively impacted the youth of Hawaii. The Pono Award is HSTA's social justice activist award. It recognizes one exceptional member who demonstrates the ability to lead, organize, and engage educators, parents, and the community to advocate on social justice issues that impact the lives of students, fellow educators, and the communities they serve. Click here to nominate someone for HSTA's Friend of Youth Award. Click here to nominate a teacher for HSTA's Pono Award. Nominations for both awards are due Jan. 9.   Watch a special video with photos from teachers statewide. See a list of early voting sites and hours here. Voters have until Nov. 1 to request a mail-in ballot. Late voter registration ends on Nov. 5, just three days before Election Day on Nov. 8. Read the full list of HSTA's State House and Senate recommended candidates here. Read HSTA President Corey Rosenlee's comments about superintendent changes here. Read more about the school impact fee proposal here. Please take 20-25 minutes to complete this survey. You could win one of three iPad minis. Register for the Nov. 2 Moanalua High ESSA forum here. Sign up for Nov. 4 Hamakua/Waimea Benefits of Belonging. Register for Nov. 12 Place in the Middle Kumu Hina workshop. RSVP for Nov. 17 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA Sign up for Nov. 17 Kona Benefits of Belonging RSVP for Dec. 1 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA RSVP for Jan. 24 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA Read the NEA's degrees not debt page. Check out HYPE's website for teachers new to the profession. Apply for an NEA Foundation grant for educators. Click here to nominate someone for HSTA's Friend of Youth Award. Click here to nominate a teacher for HSTA's Pono Award.