Posted 7-23-2018 (Dated 7-20-2018) Member Matters: 2 of 3 New sign waving schedules for HSTA-recommended candidates; Register to vote; Target 15% off for teachers; Get college loans deferred

Welcome to the new Member Matters! We hope you will enjoy the new look of the HSTA's e-newsletter which is published weekly during the school year and less frequently in June and July, while most of our members enjoy summer break. Send feedback to info@hsta.org. Phone bank, sign waving volunteers needed! Gov. David Ige's re-election campaign has surged ahead of his opponent, according to the latest poll, but we need your help to spread the word and assure his victory in the primary election, which is less than a month away. Some voters have already begun receiving their mail-in ballots, so it's crucial we contact as many potential voters as possible to keep the momentum going. WHAT: HSTA phone bank for Gov. David Ige WHEN: Friday, July 20 and July 27, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Gov. Ige Re-election Headquarters 1803 N King St., Honolulu, HI 96819 Parking available at Farrington High School Free dinner for volunteers! Phones, call lists, scripts and instructions will also be provided. If you're not able to join us in the evening, how about Friday afternoon? Ige Sign waving volunteers are also needed this Friday, July 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Nimitz Highway and Alakawa Street in Iwilei. Free parking in the Nimitz Center complex which is home to Eagle Cafe. Wear your red HSTA shirt and bring family and friends. Ige Canvassing:   Saturday, July 21 [Contact: (Jade) jbutay@hotmail.com] (7:30-11 a.m.) (end time varies)—Manoa. Meet at Manoa Valley District Park (2721 Kaaipu Ave.) by the tennis courts to canvass for Gov. Ige. Use the entrance on Manoa Road. Sunday, July 22 [Contact: (Jade) jbutay@hotmail.com] (7:30-11 a.m.) (end time varies)—Mililani. Meet at Maka’unulau Community Park (95-800 Makaunulau St.). The park entrance is on Kuahelani Ave. off Meheula Parkway. Check here for a schedule of Ige events and opportunities to volunteer.   West Hawaii sign waver alert: Senate candidate Dru Kanuha   Every Wednesday until Primary Election Day August 11, find us from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Kona on Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway at the merge just south of Henry Street. We'll have t-shirts to wear and signs to wave and take home. If you would like to join us, just come down! Shoot his campaign an email at info@drukanuha.com if you have any questions.   Maui Chapter: Sign wave for HSTA-backed candidates leading up to Aug. 11 election HSTA's Maui Chapter sign waves for all recommended candidates, from governor, LG to various State Senate and House candidates, Tuesdayafternoons from 4 to 5:45 p.m. at Kaahumanu Shopping Center, fronting Sears. See below for other sign waving dates for specific candidates. Above: Members of the HSTA's Maui Chapter waved to motorists in support of State Sen. Josh Green, who has earned our recommendation in the lieutenant governor's race. Maui Dr. Josh Green sign waving schedule Friday, July 27, 4 to 6 p.m. in Waikapu – in front of the Tropical Plantation Friday, Aug. 10, 4 to 6 p.m. at Haleakala Hwy. and Hana Hwy. Maui: Tiare Lawrence sign waving schedule  Sign wave for Tiare Lawrence, who's running for Maui's State House District 12, every Friday until the primary election on August 11. Meet Friday mornings from 6:30 to 8 a.m. at the bottom of Haleakala Highway (airport side). Please wear aloha print clothes if possible, coffee and breakfast provided. Maui: Terez Amato sign waving schedule Sign wave for Terez Amato, who's running for Maui's State Senate District 6, the next few Thursday afternoons (July 27, Aug. 3 and 10) from 4 to 6 p.m. in front of the Lahaina Cannery Mall, by Safeway.   Be sure to vote for these HSTA-recommended candidates; Register to vote and vote early in person or by mail! This year more than ever, we need to assure that candidates who support public education and teachers get in office and stay there. Please be sure to register to vote and vote in the primary, Saturday, Aug. 11 and the general election, Tuesday, Nov. 6. If you requested a mail-in ballot for the Aug. 11 primary, it should have arrived in your mailbox in the last couple of days or will be there soon. HSTA's mailer listing the candidates we support in the primary arrived this week in members' home mailboxes. If you live on Maui, the HSTA mailer should have arrived Wednesday and Oahu residents should have received the mailer Thursday, with other islands getting them by the weekend. Here's a list of HSTA-recommended candidates in all Hawaii primary races (You can scroll down to click on video links to the news conferences HSTA held to back Ige, Green and Campagna and hear HSTA's reasons for supporting each candidate.) Read Civil Beat's Hawaii Election Guide 2018, with candidate information, Q and As, and more. Need to register to vote? Click here. For the first time ever, you will be able to register to vote at polling places this year, both at early voting sites or on Election Day. You do not have to wait until Election Day to vote. You can vote at early walk-in voting sites managed by county clerks offices in each county or request a mail-in ballot. Vote in person early from July 30 through Aug. 9 Click here to request a mail-in ballot by Aug. 4. Find your polling place by entering your island and your address. View what your ballot will look like by entering your precinct and your polling place here. Election Day officials are recruited to assist voters, provide operational support, and ensure the integrity of the voting process.  Hours and duties vary. They are paid a stipend for their work. Read more or sign up to work on elections here. DOE sets up Kilauea eruption landing page   The Department of Education has created a landing page for updates and resources about the lava eruption on Hawaii Island. There you can find the latest developments about the lava flows and how they are affecting schools, students and staff. Find links and contact information for a variety of resources, from stress treatment and emergency preparedness to other health and safety issues. Click here for the DOE's Kilauea eruption landing page. Click here for a story about HSTA's efforts to publicize the plight of teachers made homeless by the lava. The story also has links to each teacher's GoFundMe appeal.   New health premium deductions begin today   Today’s DOE paycheck will be the first to reflect the new fiscal year’s health premium deductions. See the updated health benefits (EUTF) costs that went into effect July 1.  Have college loans deferred or canceled! The feds have designated the following subjects as teacher shortage areas, meaning Hawaii public school educators who teach these subjects could qualify to have their student loans deferred or canceled: Career and Technical Education Language Arts -- English Mathematics Science Special Education World Languages World Languages -- Hawaiian World Languages -- Hawaiian Immersion  Here are the details of several programs that offer loan deferrals or loan cancellation, as well as contact information. Degrees not Debt is a student loan forgiveness workshop presented by NEA Member Benefits that focuses on how teachers who teach in "high impact schools" can get a portion of their Federal Loans forgiven. This workshop also covers the basics of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which applies to all full-time HSTA members who have federal Loans. Save these dates for the next Degrees Not Debt workshops: November 15 on Maui -- location, time, other details to be announced November 16  on Oahu (Virtual) at HSTA HQ -- time, other details to be announced. The Oahu workshop will be available by via video conference to members statewide who register in advance.   DOE announces new state and complex area leaders The Department of education this week appointed new complex area superintendents for Pearl City-Waipahu, Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani and Campbell-Kapolei complexes, as well as an interim assistant superintendent in the Office of Student Support Services. Read more information here.   When Hawaii voters approve the Constitutional Amendment in November to create a new funding stream for public schools, maybe teachers won't have to spend so much of their personal money on classroom supplies. Read/watch this TV news story in which two HSTA members talk about how much of their own money they spend to get their classrooms ready for students. From KHON2: Teachers spend hundreds on supplies for their classrooms they are never reimbursed for.               Target 15% off for teachers through Sunday For the first time ever, Target is having a special event for Teachers! The Teacher Prep Event is from July 15 - July 21 the store is giving teachers 15% off on select classroom supplies in-store and online! So what's part of the deal? Writing Supplies Notebooks, folders and binders Arts and Crafts Storage and Organization Disinfecting Wipes Facial Tissue Hand Sanitizer Food Storage Bags Teachers looking to cash in on these savings need to verify their teaching status by visiting Target.com/teacherprep. It takes less than 30 seconds! All they need is their name, email, school and school's zip code. From there, they will get a one time promo code to use online (including Order Pick-Up) and a coupon for in-store purchases. If teachers weren't able to validate online but have a School ID on hand, they can use this backup scan sheet  to help them get classroom ready! Don't Forget! Teachers can also save an extra 5% on this purchase by using their REDcard, score more deal with Cartwheel and get it all in one scan by using Wallet in the Target App!   Summer good time for retirement check up Our NEA Retirement Specialists have had the pleasure to serve you, our valued teachers of HSTA, throughout the school year. We realize it can often be difficult to think about planning for retirement with a teacher’s schedule. Now that summer is here, we have compiled a list of Top 4 Reasons to Meet with an NEA Retirement Specialist: 1.    You’ve had a challenging year, and now you’re wondering what your retirement options look like. Let us help you with your ERS retirement projections, Social Security, and investments. 2.    The stock market has been on a roller coaster this year and you want someone to review your portfolio and risk tolerance. 3.     You’re missing adult interaction. 4.    Now that you’ve had a chance to decompress from the school year, you’re finally ready to set up an appointment. If you relate to any of these reasons, please contact us at (808) 951-7185 and we would be happy to help you. Hope you are having a terrific summer!   Popular HSTA Links: DOE's 2018-2019 official school calendar DOE's 2019-2020 official school calendar DOE's 2020-2021 official school calendar Classroom visit memo Please see this UPDATED MARCH 2018 chart for the EUTF and HSTA VB Health Benefit Premium Rates effective July 1, 2018. Hawaii Teacher Standards Board Read HTSB reminders here. Click here to look at the salary schedules. HSTA members can find a PDF searchable copy of the new 2017-2021 HSTA Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) at this link. More information about the 21 hours of job-embedded professional development can be found in these DOE FAQs. Guidelines for Reclassification of Teachers

Posted 7-6-2018 (Dated 7-6-2018) 1 of 1 HSTA's appeal for teacher lava victims goes national; Register now for teacher leadership training; Summer sign waving schedules updated

HSTA takes lava victims' plight to national teachers' convention HSTA President Corey Rosenlee brought the plight of Big Island teachers who've lost their homes in the volcano eruption to more than 6,100 teacher delegates at the NEA RA in Minneapolis Thursday. On the convention floor, he asked them to go to HSTA's Facebook page and see our links to crowd funding campaigns for six teacher families -- two of them with married couples. Click here to watch the video And there was a strong response to Rosenlee's plea, with more than 6,000 people seeing the post within the first few hours and more than 70 folks sharing it. This effort comes after NEA affiliates across the U.S. publicized these teachers' GoFundMe campaigns at HSTA's request. Help our teachers. Help our Ohana. If you know of other HSTA members whose homes have been destroyed by or cut off because of the lava, please notify us at info@hsta.org. Mahalo.   HSTA delegates advocate for teachers, students at NEA RA More than 80 elected teacher, student and retiree delegates you elected across Hawaii gathered in the Midwest this week to help set policy and chart the direction of the National Education Association at the largest democratic deliberative body in the world, with more than 6,100 educators participating. Above: Hawaii's delegation posed for a group shot on the convention floor Thursday, the final day of NEA RA, when thousands of delegates wore red for ed. They spent the July Fourth holiday in Minneapolis to participate in the National Education Association's 156th Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly. There were ten first-time delegates from Hawaii this year, with six delegates funding their own trips to the NEA RA. While in Minneapolis, some HSTA delegates participated in the Free Our Future march June 30, joining thousands of other teachers and citizens to protest the Trump administration's cruel immigration policies that separated thousands of children from their parents in recent months. Click below to read or listen to the comments of a teacher from Windward Chapter who participated in the march and spoke to Hawaii News Now. From Hawaii News Now: Thousands protest immigration policy From NEA Today: NEA Representative Assembly energized by red-for-ed student activists From NEA Today: National teacher of the year says 'Our students give us hope'   Why are your summer paychecks slightly lower? Because the Department of Education spreads 10-month teachers' paychecks into 12 months, part of your pay from the rest of the year covers your June and July checks. Since your pay raise from last school year went into effect on Oct. 1, 2017, your pay was slightly lower for the first three months of class. As a result, your summer pay, based on all your pay last year including those first three months before your salary hike kicked in, is slightly lower as well.   Gov. Ige understands teachers' concerns, just one of many reasons he deserves your vote! Click here for an Ige teacher call-to-action flier and this Ige fact sheet, explaining just some of the reasons why educators should vote him in for another four years.   Leeward lawmakers recommended by HSTA need some kokua Friends of Maile Shimabukuro, Cedric Gates, and Stacelynn Eli are holding the following events and are seeking volunteers: 1.  Bag Brochures: Friday, July 13, 10 a.m to approx. 2 p.m. at Rep. Gates’ headquarters (above Hale Nalu, 85-876 Farrington Highway, Waianae); Lunch and refreshments provided   2.  Mass Canvassing: Saturday, July 14, 8 a.m. to approx. noon, meet at Maili Beach Park (across from Countryside Café); lunch and refreshments provided Mahalo nui loa for your support, please let us know if you can kokua, and spread the word! Oahu teachers: Sign wave for LG candidate Dr. Josh Green: July 9 to July 13 schedule Oahu Monday, July 9 Downtown Honolulu Vineyard and Punchbowl 5 - 6 p.m.   Tuesday, July 10 Waipahu Farrington Highway and Waipio Point Access Rd. (By the high school) 4:30 - 6 p.m.   Wednesday, July 11 Downtown Honolulu Punchbowl and Vineyard 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.   Wednesday, July 11 Ewa Beach Fort Weaver Rd. and Laulaunui St. (In front of Queens West) 6 - 7 p.m.   Thursday, July 12 Kailua Kailua Rd. and Kalanianaole Hwy. (Castle Junction) 4 - 5 p.m.   Friday, July 13 Waianae Nanakuli Beach Park 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Kona and Hilo Chapters: Sign wave for Dr. Josh Green's LG campaign Tuesday, July 10 Kona Mormon Temple 75-230 Kalani St., Kailua-Kona 4:30 - 6 p.m.   Tuesday, July 10 Hilo Kamehameha Statue W. Puainako St. and Iwalani St. 5 - 6 p.m. Maui Chapter: Sign wave for HSTA-backed candidates leading up to Aug. 11 election HSTA's Maui Chapter sign waves for all recommended candidates, from governor, LG to various State Senate and House candidates, Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 5:45 p.m. at Kaahumanu Shopping Center, fronting Sears. See below for other sign waving dates for specific candidates. Above: Members of the HSTA's Maui Chapter waved to motorists in support of State Sen. Josh Green, who has earned our recommendation in the lieutenant governor's race. Dr. Josh Green sign waving schedule 1. Wednesday, July 11, 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Kahului - Hana Hwy. and Haleakala Hwy. 2. Friday, July 27, 4 to 6 p.m. in Waikapu – in front of the Tropical Plantation 3. Friday, Aug. 10, 4 to 6 p.m. at Haleakala Hwy. and Hana Hwy. On Maui: Tiare Lawrence sign waving schedule  Sign wave for Tiare Lawrence, who's running for Maui's State House District 12, every Friday until the primary election on August 11. Meet Friday mornings from 6:30 to 8 a.m. at the bottom of Haleakala Highway (airport side). Please wear aloha print clothes if possible, coffee and breakfast provided. On Maui: Terez Amato sign waving schedule Sign wave for Terez Amato, who's running for Maui's State Senate District 6, next few Thursday afternoons (July 12, 19 and 27) from 4 to 6 p.m. in front of the Lahaina Cannery Mall, by Safeway.     Apply now to participate in the 2018 Teacher Leadership Institute, a free professional learning opportunity for HSTA members.   The Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI) is a year-long professional learning opportunity offered to HSTA/NEA members.  The TLI seeks to advance student learning by enhancing and expanding the professional practice of teachers and equipping them with knowledge and skills to lead a transformed teaching profession.  The TLI will prepare you to serve as a leader of the profession, with the knowledge, skills and core values to meet the new demands as a 21st-century teaching professional. TLI 2018 Program Overview  Apply for TLI now  TRIBES agenda. http://bit.ly/2k75n0I TRIBES registration and lunch order link. http://bit.ly/2smmJdO REGISTRATION DEADLINE JULY 10! Molokai teacher earns NEA Foundation fellowship  The NEA Foundation, a public charity founded by educators for educators, has named Diane Abraham, a middle school teacher at Kualapuu school on Molokai, as a 2019 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow. As a fellow, Abraham will visit South Africa and spend a year in a peer learning network, building global competency skills: the capacity to understand and act on issues of global significance. Congrats! For more about the NEA Foundation fellowship, and how Abraham will spend part of the next year, click here.   From Hawaii News Now: Alarming numbers of teachers are leaving Hawaii. The reason: they can't afford to live here   Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, says the latest DOE statistics are startling.  Teacher vacancies are up 51 percent from 2011. The number of unlicensed teachers who don't meet state qualifications rose 63 percent from 2011. The number of in-state education program graduates dropped 29 percent from 2010. From NPR: School's out and teachers are running for office over summer break From NPR: More states opting to "robo grade' student essays by computer From Huff Post: Here's what school is really like for some migrant children separated from their parents From Huff Post: Trump plan to merge Education and Labor departments could undermine them both   DOE official calendars available here Here are the the next three years of DOE calendars: DOE's 2018-2019 official school calendar DOE's 2019-2020 official school calendar DOE's 2020-2021 official school calendar                          Summer good time for retirement check up Our NEA Retirement Specialists have had the pleasure to serve you, our valued teachers of HSTA, throughout the school year. We realize it can often be difficult to think about planning for retirement with a teacher’s schedule. Now that summer is here, we have compiled a list of Top 4 Reasons to Meet with an NEA Retirement Specialist: 1.    You’ve had a challenging year, and now you’re wondering what your retirement options look like. Let us help you with your ERS retirement projections, Social Security, and investments. 2.    The stock market has been on a roller coaster this year and you want someone to review your portfolio and risk tolerance. 3.     You’re missing adult interaction. 4.    Now that you’ve had a chance to decompress from the school year, you’re finally ready to set up an appointment. If you relate to any of these reasons, please contact us at (808) 951-7185 and we would be happy to help you. Hope you are having a terrific summer!   Check out your latest HSTA discounts here HSTA offers great savings on everything from filling up your car with gas to traveling on select Hawaiian Airlines flights. See the latest deals and discounts here.   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. Subscribe to HSTA's YouTube channel here. Follow @HSTAvoice on Instagram.   Popular Links: DOE's 2018-2019 official school calendar DOE's 2019-2020 official school calendar DOE's 2020-2021 official school calendar Classroom visit memo Read the complete contract advisory on educational administration credits here Please see this UPDATED MARCH 2018 chart for the EUTF and HSTA VB Health Benefit Premium Rates effective July 1, 2018. Hawaii Teacher Standards Board Read HTSB reminders here. Here is the list of 2018 NEA RA delegates. Know your rights: Educator Effectiveness System (EES) Click here to look at the salary schedules. HSTA members can find a PDF searchable copy of the new 2017-2021 HSTA Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) at this link. More information about the 21 hours of job-embedded professional development can be found in these DOE FAQs. Guidelines for Reclassification of Teachers