2016-2017: A year of HSTA action

As teachers get ready to head back to work next week, it's a good time to look back at last school year, which was full of unprecedented action by thousands of teachers across the state, from sign waving to a huge march on the Capitol, to sending in and delivering testimony before key decision makers.

Watch this 2-minute video recapping a year of action that resulted in a strong four-year contract.

New contract should arrive at schools in mid-August

HSTA members can find a PDF searchable copy of the new 2017-2021 HSTA Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) at this link. We appreciate our members' patience while we got the contract document updated and formatted with all of the required changes. Hard copies of the contract should arrive at schools in mid August and will be distributed by HSTA Head Faculty Representatives.

Teachers will see a 13.6 percent compounded pay increase over the four-year contract with a re-opener after the second year only for health premiums and continuation of 21 hours for more pay.

2017-2018 EES manual is online

The Department of Education’s EES manual for 2017-2018 has gone live on the DOE website. Read the entire updated EES manual here.

Under our new contract, tenured, effective or better teachers will be streamlined (IPDP only) over the next two school years. Student learner outcomes (SLOs) are discontinued for tenured, effective teachers. The DOE is continuing the current EES system for non-tenured, less-than-effective and teachers with no rating. A joint committee will work with the new superintendent to "improve and develop a high quality teacher evaluation system" to begin in the 2019-2020 school year.

HSTA hosts Maui forum with Gov. Ige Saturday

Talk story with Gov. David Ige 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 29 in the multipurpose room at Baldwin High School in Wailuku.

The event is hosted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Questions can be referred to Alan Isbell, HSTA Maui Chapter president, at 281-5426 or at writenow808@gmail.com.

New HTSB system and website begin Monday

The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board's new licensing system and website are set to be deployed on Monday, July 31.

New HTSB online licensing system launch. (Does not go live until Monday, July 31)

HTSB license and permit fee payment information.

Please contact HTSB at htsb@hawaii.gov or call 808-586-2600 if you have any questions.

Volunteer opportunity: Waianae Elementary to receive Labor of Love work Oct. 14

Please consider joining in the Labor of Love movement to help lift up students and create a better community by volunteering from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 14 for a half work day of campus improvement at Waianae Elementary. In addition to making improvements to the school's facilities, the effort by unions in Hawaii intends to fund Waianae's merit program to engender good behavior and academic success as well as provide each student with a school uniform t-shirt for their field trips. We need YOUR support as 300 volunteers are necessary to help make this Labor of Love a success. Most of the volunteer work will be painting. The skilled labor will be carried out by members of trade unions. Sign up through the link below. Lunch is included.

Get involved in social justice

Emerging leaders in HSTA have been digging deep into social justice work which was recently highlighted in NEA EDJustice, an effort that engages and mobilizes activists in the fight for racial, social and economic justice in public education. Their advocacy around teaching for joy and justice continued at the recent NEA RA in Boston, where Hawaii delegates were able to get new business items passed that increased teacher autonomy and professionalism with respect to Common Core State Standards (CCSS), engaged public school teachers in climate justice work and will educate public school teachers around the country about the events surrounding as well as the effects of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. The HSTA also recently published a new study by UH Manoa Professor Jonathan Okamura, entitled Unequal Opportunity: Ethnic Inequality in Public Education in Hawaii, which will inform our legislative efforts focusing on public school funding this year. (see below)

We would like to invite you to join us in these efforts to fight for equity and justice with and for our students, educators and school communities. Please complete this short survey, and email Amy Perruso at aperruso@hsta.org if you have any questions.

HSTA publishes Unequal Opportunity: Ethnic Inequality in Public Education in Hawaii

In the publication “Unequal Opportunity: Ethnic Inequality in Public Education in Hawaii,” the HSTA demonstrates that ethnic inequality is “deeply entrenched in both [DOE and UH] sectors of public education.”

The publication focuses on ethnic inequality of student access, representation and graduation in both the DOE and UH systems, and argues that “the primary factor which maintains ethnic inequality in public education is the long-term under funding of the DOE and UH systems by the State Legislature, which continues to restrict the educational and broader socioeconomic advancement of minorities in Hawaii.”

Given the failure of the Legislature to respond to this issue in the last session, the timing of this publication by HSTA is critical and speaks to the importance of increased public awareness of the ways the starvation of the public education funding affects ALL of our children.

HSTA co-sponsors prison reform event Aug. 16

HSTA's first social justice event of the new school year begins by taking steps to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center in partnership with HSTA presents "Dismantling Mass Incarceration: Prospects For Reform," a talk by Robert Perkinson, an associate professor of American Studies at UH Manoa. The event will be held Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m., at Aliiolani Hale, 417 S. King Street, across from Iolani Palace. To RSVP and for more information, call the Judiciary History Center at 539-4999.

Perkinson is a nationally recognized prison expert whose book "Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire" won the PEN American Center's John Kenneth Galbraith Award for best non-fiction book published in 2009 and 2010.

Read more about "Dismantling Mass Incarceration: Prospects For Reform," Aug. 16 at Aliiolani Hale.

Increase your skills and pay with HSTA PD!

HSTA's professional development courses are open for enrollment, with teachers teaching teachers. The courses include 21^st century learning, inclusion, STEM, environmental education, cultural-based education, classroom management and teacher leadership.

Read more about HSTA PD courses and register here.

Schools have been paying for teachers to take HSTA courses and receive PD credits, since they take place outside of the workday. To take advantage of this great deal, please register yourself for the course (so that you secure a seat) and once your school sends us payment, we will process a reimbursement to you. Schools can use HSTA Vendor #021749

Don’t miss out on teacher discounts:

https://www.neamb.com/shopping-discounts/top-teacher-deals-discounts.htm

Subscribe to and follow HSTA's social media accounts

Be sure to subscribe to HSTA's YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram for the latest videos, photos and news about our Association and public schools in Hawaii.