Posted 9-29-2018 (Dated 9-28-2018) Email us photos of bad classroom, school conditions; New HSTA member cards arriving in your mailbox soon; New Oahu retirement workshops scheduled

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Send your photos of neglected school equipment and facilities to us for the Con Am campaign  Can you help us by sending in a couple of photos (and maybe even a brief video) of the rundown, broken facilities in which we try to teach students?We're going to use the images for our media campaign to help pass the constitutional amendment that would bring in a new source of badly needed revenue for our schools. Send photos that clearly show broken, dangerous or badly damaged school buildings, furniture and equipment to info@hsta.org. Photos that need no explanation, like those shown here or in the video below. Click here to watch the video   Protect yourself and don't send images of bad facilities that give away the location of your school. Send us a couple of photos and maybe a quick, 10-second video to info@hsta.org. Mahalo!  National award shines spotlight on Ewa Beach teacher “I always advise new teachers to be open to opportunities for self-development and self-care, as well as opportunities for their students and fellow teachers,” said Cynthia Tong. “A great educator teaches everyone, every day, in many small ways.” Tong, an eighth grade social studies educator at Ewa Makai Middle School in Ewa Beach, will receive the NEA Foundation’s prestigious Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence, recognition as one of the nation’s top educators, and $10,000. The award honors five educators each year for their diligence and dedication to students, colleagues, community and profession. She was honored at a ceremony Friday at her school in Ewa, with her husband and daughter, who's a substitute teacher, present. The Hawaii State Teachers Association, a National Education Association affiliate, nominated her for the award. "Cindy has been a leader in every school where she's taught. She's also been an agent for change not only for the keiki in her school but for all the keiki in Hawaii," said HSTA President Corey Rosenlee. Read the complete story about Cynthia Tong here. Watch HSTA's interview with Tong when she was awarded the union's S.T.A.C.Y. Teaching Excellence award in April. HSTA membership ID cards are in the mail! Look for your new membership cards that should arrive in your home mailbox soon. The cards will include your name, your HSTA and NEA membership number and the year you originally became a member. Use these cards for discounts and specials that require an HSTA membership card. And use the membership number to register for our new website.   HSTA announces candidate recommendations for November election The HSTA has announced the candidates we are backing for election or re-election in this November's general election. Read the link below or go to one of our front-page banner stories at HSTA.org for all the names of candidates who support public education and deserve your support. Read HSTA's recommendations of general election candidates. Take government relations and negotiations surveys; Enter to win one of 10 prize packs The advocacy performed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association never stops, and this school year is no different.  We are busy preparing for a number of upcoming events including the 2019 legislative session and the mid-term contract negotiations. We are asking members to participate in two surveys to help us prioritize important goals. The first survey is from our Negotiations Committee.  Your feedback will help the negotiations committee and team plan for our contract re-opener related to two areas of the contract: (1) employer contributions to EUTF medical, vision, dental and life insurance premiums and (2) the 21 hours of job-embedded professional development (PD).  Please click here to take the Negotiations Survey. (Please complete the survey by Sunday, Sept. 30) The second survey is our Government Relations Priorities Survey. Your feedback will help the Government Relations Committee (GRC) craft recommendations to the HSTA Board of Directors (BOD) for our priorities with the Board of Education and the 2019 Legislative Session. Please click here to take the Government Relations Priorities Survey.  (Please complete the survey by Sunday, Sept. 30)   Your participation in both these surveys is a critical part of the feedback loop between HSTA members and HSTA leaders. After you take each survey, please remember to click on the done button and you will be redirected to a link to enter your name into a drawing for one of ten prize packages. Please make sure you take each survey so you can enter two times. Thank you for your time and feedback. HMSA members: Take this health survey and you might win one of 10 $500 gift cards Enter this contest for HSTA EUTF Active and Retiree members, and find out how healthy you are and what your "real age" is.  By registering on the app and taking a health survey, you will be eligible to win one of ten $500 VISA gift cards.   When you register for Sharecare, link your HMSA subscriber ID number and take the RealAgeTest by October 31, 2018, you're eligible to win. Register for HMSA ShareCare and take the survey by Oct. 31. Apply now! Credit union doubles teacher grant program The Hawaii State Federal Credit Union is doubling to $40,000 its annual Investing in Education program for public school teachers in Hawaii. DOE teachers are invited to submit their applications requesting grants to purchase supplies, books, furniture, electronic gear and classroom activities. The deadline is Oct. 31 or whenever all of the grant money has been disbursed. You must be a member of the credit union to apply. Click here for more information on Hawaii State FCU's teacher grant program. You must be a member of the credit union to apply. Eligible applicants are asked to submit an essay outlining how the grant will help them achieve classroom goals. Grant recipients will be awarded funds between $200 and $500 based on classroom needs. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply now!

Celebrate diversity at Pride Parade Oct. 20 HSTA's new website is here; Members, please register for members-only content HSTA.org has undergone a major makeover! If you have not registered for web access since the website went live on July 18, 2018, you will need to go through a quick web registration process. Because it is a totally new site, you have to re-register. Registering on our site (same address — hsta.org) is simple and should only take a few minutes. After submitting your web registration request, an HSTA staff member will verify that you are an active member. That’s when you will receive a confirmation email granting you access to the new website. Verification of membership will be carried out during business hours, but most information on the website is available without the need to sign in. Maintaining accurate access to our members-only areas is important to us, and we hope you will understand our need to verify membership before granting that access. Read more about features of our new website, and members-only benefits once you register.                      Do you have the best insurance protection and value? With hurricane season upon us and many in our communities affected by recent severe weather events, it’s natural to ask ourselves what we value and whether we are properly protected from life’s uncertainties.  As HSTA’s selected auto, home, condo, and renters insurance partner, Island Insurance has been committed to helping Hawaii residents with insurance for almost 80 years. Now one of the nation’s Top 50 P&C insurers, Island is Always Here to Help HSTA members with the insurance and value that’s right for you. Let us help you review your auto, home, condo, renters, hurricane and flood insurance to make sure you are protected and see if there are any opportunities to improve your coverages or the value of your policies.  Please feel free to contact one of our friendly, licensed, local agents at your earliest convenience.  Call: 643-4000 HSTA members press #1, then #1 (mention you are an HSTA member) Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Click: islandinsurance.com/HSTA (select HSTA Group) Email or Text: HSTA @islandinsurance.com As an HSTA member, you could also benefit from special group savings and an exclusive offer: HSTA Group Auto Insurance Island’s lowest group rates are reserved for HSTA members like you with savings up to 23% more than the general public.  HSTA GoLow Auto Insurance GoLow Auto Insurance is Island’s basic, no-frills auto insurance policy with just enough coverage to keep you on the go and your car on the road. HSTA Bundled Savings Combine your auto insurance with a home, condo, or renters policy means you could qualify for even better savings and a wider range of discounts like these Multi-Policy Discounts: 18% off Personal Auto Policy $50 off per Eligible Vehicle 10% off Home, Condo or Renters Policy HSTA Offer You could win an Amazon Echo Show voice-activated smart home touchscreen and speaker when you receive an auto insurance quote by November 16.  Some restrictions apply. Rates and savings vary depending on prior insurance, driving history, coverage limits, and other factors. The GoLowSM quote is based on $20,000/$40,000 bodily injury liability, $20,000/$40,000 uninsured motorists/underinsured motorists, $10,000 property damage liability, and $10,000 personal injury protection coverages. Towing & labor and rental car reimbursement are available at no extra charge only when comprehensive and/or collision coverage(s) are purchased. HSTA rates are available only to current HSTA members. No purchase necessary. Limit one gift/prize per household per year. Amazon Echo Show offer ends 11/16/18. Thinking about retirement and have these questions? Which ERS Pension option do I take? How do I maximize my Social Security benefit? Do I have enough put away for retirement? Do I need long-term care insurance? Come to a complimentary dinner or lunch seminar called “Are You on Track to Retire?” designed for those within 5-10 years of retirement. "ARE YOU ON TRACK TO RETIRE?" SEMINAR NEIGHBOR ISLAND DATES NOW OPEN! KAUAI: Thursday, Oct. 11, 5 p.m. at Ho’okipa Café at Puakea Golf Course RSVP by 10/3/18: http://bit.ly/2wuihvH or call (808) 951-7185, x11 HILO: Friday, Oct. 26, 5:30 p.m. at Hilo Hawaiian RSVP by 10/16/18:  http://bit.ly/2N1rHJf or call (808) 951-7185, x19 Sponsored by NEA Retirement Specialists. This is an HSTA benefit for HSTA members, but no HSTA monies are used for this event.   Degrees Not Debt: Nov. 15 from 4-6 p.m. at Baldwin High Multipurpose Room   The latest NEA Member Benefit research shows that recent graduates are leaving schools with greater debt. This presentation focuses on how teachers who teach in "high impact schools" can get a portion of their federal loans forgiven. In addition, we will cover the basics of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which applies to all full-time HSTA members who have federal loans. Basic financial planning tips on how to live with debt, save for retirement despite paying off debt and the importance of having a financial plan will also be covered. Please RSVP by November 10  https://mauidegreesnotdebt.eventbrite.com 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 at Baldwin High Multipurpose room -- 4 to 6 p.m. Please RSVP by November 10  https://mauidegreesnotdebt.eventbrite.com 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.     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. Read the full story about pay hikes, supplemental pay and stipends available for teachers. 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 9-21-2018: Sorry for the tardy "hsta updates" posts

Sorry for the tardy "hsta updates" posts!
I will try not to lapse in keeping you knowledgeable and informed.
Sincerely,
Joy Grabar

Posted 9-21-2018 (Dated 9-16-2018) Tell us your negotiations, contract and government relations priorities; Win one of ten prizes for filling out two brief surveys

Take government relations and negotiations surveys; Enter to win one of 10 prize packs We hope this email finds you well into a successful school year.  On behalf of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, we want to thank all of you for the work you do to educate the keiki of Hawaii. The advocacy performed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association never stops, and this school year is no different.  We are busy preparing for a number of upcoming events including the 2019 legislative session and the mid-term contract negotiations. We are asking members to participate in two surveys to help us prioritize important goals. The first is our Government Relations Priorities Survey. Your feedback will help the Government Relations Committee (GRC) craft recommendations to the HSTA Board of Directors (BOD) for our priorities with the Board of Education and the 2019 Legislative Session. Please click here to take the Government Relations Priorities Survey.  (Please complete the survey by Sunday, Sept. 30)   The second survey is from our Negotiations Committee.  Your feedback will help the negotiations committee and team plan for our contract re-opener related to two areas of the contract: (1) employer contributions to EUTF medical, vision, dental and life insurance premiums and (2) the 21 hours of job-embedded professional development (PD).  Please click here to take the Negotiations Survey. (Please complete the survey by Sunday, Sept. 30) Your participation in both these surveys is a critical part of the feedback loop between HSTA members and HSTA leaders. After you take each survey, please remember to click on the done button and you will be redirected to a link to enter your name into a drawing for one of ten prize packages. Please make sure you take each survey so you can enter two times. Thank you for your time and feedback. Please click here to take the Negotiations Survey. Please click here to take the Government Relations Priorities Survey.

Copyright © 2018 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

Posted 9-21-2018 (Dated 9-14-2018) Teacher Leadership Institute fellowship deadline Monday; Help a Hilo teacher needing shared leave; HMSA members: take health survey and win $500

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Teacher Leadership Institute Fellowship deadline Monday! The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), in collaboration with the National Education Association, seeks 35 members to participate in the 2018-2019 Teacher Leadership Institute Fellowship.   Teachers selected will participate in a comprehensive leadership development program, concluding with a field-based leadership capstone project, with a focus on instructional leadership, policy leadership, or union leadership.   The goal for participating teachers is to become leaders in the profession, with the knowledge, skills and core values to meet the demands of the teaching profession in the 21st century.   The time commitment is expected to be approximately 4-6 hours a month.  The program begins in October and will extend through August.  There are eight (8) virtual workshops and 3 full-day face-to-face meetings. Teachers selected will receive a $500 stipend for completing the program and providing feedback in the process. The deadline for applying is September 17, 2018. Your Hawaii team of coaches plan to notify candidates of their selection in late September.  You must be a member, in good standing, of the HSTA to apply for this leadership opportunity.  Please apply at https://goo.gl/forms/gAMozzxySC5n8wI23. If you have any questions, please contact AhLinn Yamane at ayamane@hsta.org.  Read more, including information and advice about the application.   HMSA members: Take this health survey and you might win one of 10 $500 gift cards Enter this contest for HSTA EUTF Active and Retiree members, and find out how healthy you are and what your "real age" is.  By registering on the app and taking a health survey, you will be eligible to win one of ten $500 VISA gift cards.   When you register for Sharecare, link your HMSA subscriber ID number and take the RealAgeTest by October 31, 2018, you're eligible to win. Register for HMSA ShareCare and take the survey by Oct. 31. Please help a Hilo member needing shared leave My name is Sarah Kalawe and I teach English Language Arts at Hilo High School. I have a medical condition called systemic lupus that will affect my postpartum health status which is why I am requesting shared leave. My rheumatologist cautioned that immediately after giving birth, I am more likely to get constant flare-ups until my body fully recovers and adjusts to the changes. My flare-ups cause fevers, painful joint pain, hair loss, skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, extreme fatigue, and release antibodies that attack my organs (kidneys, liver, heart, and brain). As of now, doctors are most concerned about my kidneys. I also do not have enough sick leave due to using them prior to my pregnancy because of my systemic lupus disease (doctors appointments and constant fevers/flare-ups). I would be very grateful for your leave donations so that I may give my body time to recover and spend time with my first born. Able to help? Please fill out the teacher donor form and send it to Sarah's SASA, whose contact information is listed below.  The last four digits of her Social Security number are 0858. Her SASA is Brandon Respicio and he would be the contact for any donated leave offers. His email address is:  Brandon_Respicio@notes.k12.hi.us. His office phone: 808-313-5500 and fax 808-974-4036. Mahalo!   Lanai High students' study published in prestigious medical journal In August of 2016, 22 high school students at Lanai High and Elementary School had some key questions they set out to answer: How does what we eat affect who we are, how we feel and what we hope to become? They did such a good job answering these questions that their findings were published this month in the Hawaii Journal of Medicine & Public Health (September 2018, Vol. 77, No. 9) Read the entire medical journal article here.  Using opinion research methods, students in Karen De Brum's Lanai High Expository Writing class surveyed 656 community members and conducted 15 focus groups on Lanai, where access to food can sometime be a challenge on the remote island.  On three separate occasions, the students presented their findings to the community, representatives at Pulama Lanai and the Lanai Community Health Center. English teacher de Brum led the project-based learning effort with grant money from The Conservation Fund and her partnership with Lanai non-profit Laulima Kuhao.  “This has been the most engaging teaching opportunity in years," de Brum said. "The students worked harder and made more educational gains during this project than I have seen in more traditional classes.  To see their work published in a medical journal is a proud moment not only for the students, but for the island as a whole." Read more about this Lanai project-based learning experience here. Credit union doubles teacher grant program The Hawaii State Federal Credit Union is doubling to $40,000 its annual Investing in Education program for public school teachers in Hawaii. DOE teachers are invited to submit their applications requesting grants to purchase supplies, books, furniture, electronic gear and classroom activities. The deadline is Oct. 31 or whenever all of the grant money has been disbursed. You must be a member of the credit union to apply. Click here for more information on Hawaii State FCU's teacher grant program. You must be a member of the credit union to apply. Eligible applicants are asked to submit an essay outlining how the grant will help them achieve classroom goals. Grant recipients will be awarded funds between $200 and $500 based on classroom needs. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply now! Constitutional Amendment campaign update Our campaign to generate more funding for public schools made progress this week with a meeting of community partners and nonprofits supporting our efforts. On Monday, more than 50 members of Constitutional Amendment action teams will meet at HSTA to plan grassroots campaign efforts. Also next week, look for ads on social media platforms talking about the need for the constitutional amendment. Last month, we unveiled a new campaign website called yesforourkeiki.com, where you can hear from teachers about why they support the proposal, read FAQs, news coverage and 20 reasons why voters should approve the measure. Also check out the constitutional amendment Facebook page and please share it with your friends, family and coworkers!

Kona new teachers and faculty reps: Free event Sept. 21 Signup deadline today for free training against bullying, cheating, teasing for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders  Sign up by Sept. 14 for the free anti-bullying training by clicking here. Coming Sept. 21: LaborFest Hawaii 2018 Oahu Teachers! Come out to learn about Hawaii's strong labor community and hear from one of your own: Darron Cambra, a creative arts teacher at Farrington High, is performing in the poetry reading that starts off the Friday pau hana event. HSTA's new website is here; Members, please register for members-only content HSTA.org has undergone a major makeover! If you have not registered for web access since the website went live on July 18, 2018, you will need to go through a quick web registration process. Because it is a totally new site, you have to re-register. Registering on our site (same address — hsta.org) is simple and should only take a few minutes. After submitting your web registration request, an HSTA staff member will verify that you are an active member. That’s when you will receive a confirmation email granting you access to the new website. Verification of membership will be carried out during business hours, but most information on the website is available without the need to sign in. Maintaining accurate access to our members-only areas is important to us, and we hope you will understand our need to verify membership before granting that access. Read more about features of our new website, and members-only benefits once you register.               RSVP to these Are You On Track to Retire? events by clicking here. Degrees Not Debt: Nov. 15 from 4-6 p.m. at Baldwin High Multipurpose Room   The latest NEA Member Benefit research shows that recent graduates are leaving schools with greater debt. This presentation focuses on how teachers who teach in "high impact schools" can get a portion of their federal loans forgiven. In addition, we will cover the basics of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which applies to all full-time HSTA members who have federal loans. Basic financial planning tips on how to live with debt, save for retirement despite paying off debt and the importance of having a financial plan will also be covered. Please RSVP by November 10  https://mauidegreesnotdebt.eventbrite.com 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 at Baldwin High Multipurpose room -- 4 to 6 p.m. Please RSVP by November 10  https://mauidegreesnotdebt.eventbrite.com 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.     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. 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. 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