Posted 8-11-2018 (Dated 8-11-2018, and previous) Pay Raises; Volcano Updates; Educator Awards (1 from Big Island!)

Note: This blogpost (shortened) was edited by J. Grabar HSTA raises kick in this fall; How to increase your pay further   Because of the HSTA's collective work to push for a strong contract, public school teachers will see significant increases in pay this school year. Effective the first day of the second quarter, educators will receive a three-and-a-half percent (3.5%) across-the-board pay raise. That pay increase will show up starting with their Nov. 5paychecks. In all, there are various raises worth nearly 14 percent over the four years of the contract, which expires in 2021. Also, this is a great time to move up in pay by reclassifying. Last year was the fifth year of the negotiated 21 hours and 3 credits. Even if teachers haven’t taken any additional professional development credits, as long as they have been teaching more than five years, and are not already Class 7, they can still move up in class and give themselves a raise. Go to PDE3 to learn how. Read the full story about pay hikes, supplemental pay and stipends available for teachers.

HSTA updates members on lava efforts   Here is the latest information from HSTA with 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. 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.

Two Hawaii educators win national math and science awards Congratulations to teachers from Ewa and Momilani Elementary schools have been awarded the Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the highest award bestowed upon K–12 mathematics and science teachers by the U.S. government. Click here to read more about these outstanding teachers. Two Hawaii science teachers earn Albert Einstein awards Two Hawai‘i State Department of Education science teachers have been named awardees of the prestigious Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program, an honor that comes with a one-year federal research appointment in Washington, D.C. Among the 14 educators nationwide who were granted fellowships for 2018-19 are: Hilo Intermediate science teacher Pascale Creek Pinner, who will serve at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The office is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy and the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. Kalani High science teacher Bryan Silver, who will serve at the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Engineering. The branch is charged with supporting and investing in engineering research and education critical to the nation’s future. Read the entire article on HSTA's website.