Posted 11-26-2017 (Dated 11-17-2017) Apply to be a core organizer, Enter HSTA and NEA contests, HSTA questions why Maui schools remained open during heavy rains

HSTA searching for core organizers; Apply now!  The Hawaii State Teachers Association seeks members who are trusted and respected among their colleagues to help lead the work of our association. The HSTA believes a strong union is one to which members want to belong and participate. Members are encouraged toapply to become an HSTA State Level Core Organizer.  Core Organizers will go out and build meaningful relationships with teacher members through face-to-face meetings and other methods of communication. Applications are due by Jan. 15, 2018. Core Organizers will participate in mandatory training and will be absent from work (on union release time) for training as well as organizing activities.  Read the HSTA Core Organizer position description. Apply to become an HSTA State Level Core Organizer.    Last chance: Submit a RED FOR ED photo and be entered to win an HSTA prize pack! The HSTA invites you to share some RED FOR ED photos of you and your colleagues over the next week. This is a contest that rewards more entries for posting your photos on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can still submit a RED FOR ED photo and enter the contest. There are several ways to enter to increase your chances of winning one of three prize packs! Click the image and enter the HSTA Giveaway! Contest ends at midnight tonight (Nov. 17).   Enter NEA contest; Weekly prizes until Dec. 12 You’re always giving to others—now it’s time to think about yourself! For the next four weeks until December 12, enter the Treat Yourself This Holiday Giveaway for a chance to win some sweet weekly prizes each Tuesday, including: a $200 TJ MAXX gift card, an Amazon Echo Show, a $200 DSW (shoes, boots, handbags and more!) gift card, and a $200 Nordstrom gift card. Five lucky NEA members will win each week! Enter the giveaway each week by clicking here. NEA Member Benefits holiday flyer -- how to enter this national contest NEA Member Benefits "Treat Yourself This Holiday" Giveaway FAQs   HSTA asks why Maui schools remained open during deluge HSTA President Corey Rosenlee recently wrote an email to the two Maui complex area superintendents, asking why schools remained open during heavy rains late in October that caused flooding, dangerous road conditions and power outages. The HSTA is following up on this issue at the state level to discuss our concerns about schools remaining open in these types of situations. Teachers should also be aware of the following language in the contract from Article X, Teacher Protection: “When students are sent home from school or are not required to attend due to emergencies which endanger health or safety, teachers will not be required to remain at, nor report to, said schools.” Read HSTA's letter raising concerns about dangerous conditions for teachers and students during heavy rains on Maui and see the DOE's brief response.   Maui HSTA Chapter's next hike with Sierra Club Dec. 16 The HSTA's Maui Chapter will hold its next event with the Maui Chapter of the Sierra Club  on Saturday, Dec. 16. It will be an archaeological hike at a preservation site to protect native forests and cultural sites from development.  Please RSVP to Victoria Zupan at victoriazupancic2386@gmail.com or Adriane Raff Corwin at contact@mauisierraclub.org for this event. The Dec. 16 hike is open to the public, but pending enough interest, we can have our own HSTA event. Children are welcome for the event.  It is easy to break off and head back to your car at any time. About the next hike:  Wailea 670/Palau’ea (C/E); South Maui 2 miles Archaeological hike with Dr. Janet Six. Visit prominent cultural complexes in Wailea 670 preserve to mark sites. Rugged terrain. Closed shoes/boots, long pants and good balance a must. Bring water, hiking stick, cameras.      HSTA sponsors ELL professional development workshop Jan. 11 HSTA members will host a free ELL professional development workshop run by Central Chapter English Language Learner teachers.  This professional development opportunity will be on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 3:30  – 5:30 p.m. at HSTA's Red Hill headquarters on Oahu.  Members will learn how to better support the ELLs in their classroom and school. Topics include: US Department of Education-Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) SLA (Second Language Acquisition) strategies ELD (English Language Development) materials Staffing Other federal guidelines. There will also be time for questions and answers.  Please register for the Jan. 11 HSTA ELL training by Jan. 9.  Parking is at HSTA and overflow parking is at Red Hill Elementary School. Light refreshments will be provided. This professional development opportunity is not sponsored by the DOE and is not for professional development credit.   DOE sabbatical applications being accepted thru Jan. 12 The Department of Education is accepting teacher sabbatical leave applications for the 2018-2019 school year until Jan. 12, 2018. Teachers can apply for one semester or one entire school year. Teacher sabbatical leave 2018-1019 DOE memo Teacher sabbatical leave information Sabbatical application form Sabbatical instructions/criteria Teacher sabbatical leave criteria/rating scale   From CNN Money: Here's what happened to teachers after Wisconsin gutted its unions Find out just how much teachers' salaries and benefits dropped in Wisconsin. From the Atlantic magazine: Americans have given up on public schools. That's a mistake. From the Washington Post: Trump nominee for No. 2 spot at Education Department stumbles on key questions at confirmation hearing From NEA Today: A weak link between high test scores and student happiness? From the Hechinger Report: Low academic expectations and poor support for special education students are 'hurting their future' From Big Island Now: DOE launches new online tool, provides insight on progress   HEA conducts professional development survey The Hawaii Education Association is conducting a survey to help shape its professional development programs "by educators, for educators." The purpose of this study is to collect information from professionals like you, to create relevant programs for the future of education in Hawaii.  Your participation in this survey will support HEA's strategic planning efforts to ensure it is a viable and relevant organization for the future generation of educators, current educators and our retirees.  Take the HEA professional development survey through Dec. 11. Read this letter from June Motokawa about the HEA survey.   Sign up for the 7th International Conference on Education and Social Justice Dec. 1 -3.  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: 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

Copyright © 2017 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 11-17-2017 (Dated 11-17-2017) Apply to be a core organizer, Enter HSTA and NEA contests, HSTA questions why Maui schools remained open during heavy rains

HSTA searching for core organizers; Apply now!  The Hawaii State Teachers Association seeks members who are trusted and respected among their colleagues to help lead the work of our association. The HSTA believes a strong union is one to which members want to belong and participate. Members are encouraged toapply to become an HSTA State Level Core Organizer.  Core Organizers will go out and build meaningful relationships with teacher members through face-to-face meetings and other methods of communication. Applications are due by Jan. 15, 2018. Core Organizers will participate in mandatory training and will be absent from work (on union release time) for training as well as organizing activities.  Read the HSTA Core Organizer position description. Apply to become an HSTA State Level Core Organizer.    Last chance: Submit a RED FOR ED photo and be entered to win an HSTA prize pack! The HSTA invites you to share some RED FOR ED photos of you and your colleagues over the next week. This is a contest that rewards more entries for posting your photos on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can still submit a RED FOR ED photo and enter the contest. There are several ways to enter to increase your chances of winning one of three prize packs! Click the image and enter the HSTA Giveaway! Contest ends at midnight tonight (Nov. 17).   Enter NEA contest; Weekly prizes until Dec. 12 You’re always giving to others—now it’s time to think about yourself! For the next four weeks until December 12, enter the Treat Yourself This Holiday Giveaway for a chance to win some sweet weekly prizes each Tuesday, including: a $200 TJ MAXX gift card, an Amazon Echo Show, a $200 DSW (shoes, boots, handbags and more!) gift card, and a $200 Nordstrom gift card. Five lucky NEA members will win each week! Enter the giveaway each week by clicking here. NEA Member Benefits holiday flyer -- how to enter this national contest NEA Member Benefits "Treat Yourself This Holiday" Giveaway FAQs   HSTA asks why Maui schools remained open during deluge HSTA President Corey Rosenlee recently wrote an email to the two Maui complex area superintendents, asking why schools remained open during heavy rains late in October that caused flooding, dangerous road conditions and power outages. The HSTA is following up on this issue at the state level to discuss our concerns about schools remaining open in these types of situations. Teachers should also be aware of the following language in the contract from Article X, Teacher Protection: “When students are sent home from school or are not required to attend due to emergencies which endanger health or safety, teachers will not be required to remain at, nor report to, said schools.” Read HSTA's letter raising concerns about dangerous conditions for teachers and students during heavy rains on Maui and see the DOE's brief response.   Maui HSTA Chapter's next hike with Sierra Club Dec. 16 The HSTA's Maui Chapter will hold its next event with the Maui Chapter of the Sierra Club  on Saturday, Dec. 16. It will be an archaeological hike at a preservation site to protect native forests and cultural sites from development.  Please RSVP to Victoria Zupan at victoriazupancic2386@gmail.com or Adriane Raff Corwin at contact@mauisierraclub.org for this event. The Dec. 16 hike is open to the public, but pending enough interest, we can have our own HSTA event. Children are welcome for the event.  It is easy to break off and head back to your car at any time. About the next hike:  Wailea 670/Palau’ea (C/E); South Maui 2 miles Archaeological hike with Dr. Janet Six. Visit prominent cultural complexes in Wailea 670 preserve to mark sites. Rugged terrain. Closed shoes/boots, long pants and good balance a must. Bring water, hiking stick, cameras.      HSTA sponsors ELL professional development workshop Jan. 11 HSTA members will host a free ELL professional development workshop run by Central Chapter English Language Learner teachers.  This professional development opportunity will be on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 3:30  – 5:30 p.m. at HSTA's Red Hill headquarters on Oahu.  Members will learn how to better support the ELLs in their classroom and school. Topics include: US Department of Education-Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) SLA (Second Language Acquisition) strategies ELD (English Language Development) materials Staffing Other federal guidelines. There will also be time for questions and answers.  Please register for the Jan. 11 HSTA ELL training by Jan. 9.  Parking is at HSTA and overflow parking is at Red Hill Elementary School. Light refreshments will be provided. This professional development opportunity is not sponsored by the DOE and is not for professional development credit.   DOE sabbatical applications being accepted thru Jan. 12 The Department of Education is accepting teacher sabbatical leave applications for the 2018-2019 school year until Jan. 12, 2018. Teachers can apply for one semester or one entire school year. Teacher sabbatical leave 2018-1019 DOE memo Teacher sabbatical leave information Sabbatical application form Sabbatical instructions/criteria Teacher sabbatical leave criteria/rating scale   From CNN Money: Here's what happened to teachers after Wisconsin gutted its unions Find out just how much teachers' salaries and benefits dropped in Wisconsin. From the Atlantic magazine: Americans have given up on public schools. That's a mistake. From the Washington Post: Trump nominee for No. 2 spot at Education Department stumbles on key questions at confirmation hearing From NEA Today: A weak link between high test scores and student happiness? From the Hechinger Report: Low academic expectations and poor support for special education students are 'hurting their future' From Big Island Now: DOE launches new online tool, provides insight on progress   HEA conducts professional development survey The Hawaii Education Association is conducting a survey to help shape its professional development programs "by educators, for educators." The purpose of this study is to collect information from professionals like you, to create relevant programs for the future of education in Hawaii.  Your participation in this survey will support HEA's strategic planning efforts to ensure it is a viable and relevant organization for the future generation of educators, current educators and our retirees.  Take the HEA professional development survey through Dec. 11. Read this letter from June Motokawa about the HEA survey.   Sign up for the 7th International Conference on Education and Social Justice Dec. 1 -3.  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: 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

Copyright © 2017 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 11/16/2017 (Dated 11/10/2017) Send RED FOR ED photos and enter our contest; ELL workshop scheduled

Watch this quick video about the Janus case and enter a contest The HSTA invites you to share some RED FOR ED photos of you and your colleagues over the next week. This is a contest that rewards more entries for posting your photos on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can still submit a RED FOR ED photo and enter the contest. There are several ways to enter to increase your chances of winning one of three prize packs! Click the image and enter the HSTA Giveaway!   HSTA organizes ELL training session Jan. 11 The HSTA's Central District English Language Learner teachers are hosting a free ELL training on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 3:30  – 5:30 p.m. at HSTA's Red Hill headquarters on Oahu. They will help members support the ELLs in your classroom and school. Topics include: US Department of Education-Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) SLA (Second Language Acquisition) strategies ELD (English Language Development) materials Staffing Other federal guidelines. There will also be time for questions and answers.  Please register for the Jan. 11 HSTA ELL training by Jan. 9.  Parking is at HSTA and overflow parking is at Red Hill Elementary School. Light refreshments will be provided.   HSTA holds values of aloha rainbow workshop About 25 HSTA members gathered at HSTA Nov. 2 for "RAINBOWS in Me: Values of Aloha," a homegrown social and emotional learning (SEL) program inspired by Hawaii's Aloha spirit. Trainer Stephen Chinen, a counselor at Helemano Elementary School, developed the program. Our HSTA members from several islands loved it!  The rainbows class was a lot of fun and energized everyone. The workshop is evidence-based and effectively addresses all the standards of an SEL program (per the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning www.casel.org). Furthermore, it is very well aligned with the Board of Education's "Na Hopena A'o" and the Department's Strategic Plan for 2017-2020. The rainbow symbolizes one of the greatest things about our Hawai'i for it represents all the people from different origins coming here and living together in relative harmony. People of different colors and cultures respect one another, work together, marry each other and raise their keiki. No other symbol reflects this synergetic diversity and Aloha better than the rainbow.   From CivilBeat: Will regular classrooms better serve Hawaii's special ed students?   From NEA Today: Celebrate American Education Week Nov. 13 - 17 From CivilBeat: Missing school has become a huge problem in Hawaii From CivilBeat: A new podcast follows the first year of a new charter school in Wahiawa From KHON2: Nuclear shelter-in-place plan could keep parents, students separated for days From Mother Jones: Voters in this Colorado county just sent Betsy DeVos a helluva message   Former Wahiawa Middle teacher leads new education advocacy group A former special education teacher at Wahiawa Middle School, David Miyashiro, is the founding executive director of HawaiiKidsCAN, an organization aimed at ensuring every child in Hawaii receives a great education. The group published "State of Education in Hawaii 2017," a snapshot of education across the state, with graphics and summaries of demographics, trends and results, based on DOE data, which sometimes is not up-to-date or accurate, but it makes for interesting reading.   Calling all educator-activists! The quest for racial and social justice is more important now than ever! Amidst these trying political times, we must stand strong with our fellow brothers and sisters to advocate for equity for students, teachers and communities. HSTA will host a series of peace circles around the islands to support relationship building and organizing power of educator-activists and community members dedicated to addressing inequity in their schools and communities. Peace circles, rooted in indigenous practices, focus on relationships as a key component to building unity prior to collective action. Participants will explore personal histories with injustice, examine current data related to injustices within our educational system, learn tools they can take back to their classrooms and workplaces, and network with others to create plans for change within their communities. Folks from traditionally under-represented groups, especially Hawaiians, Filipinos and Micronesians, are encouraged to sign up. The first peace circle was held in October on Hawaii Island. The next peace circle will be held on O'ahu:  U.H. West Oahu Hawaiian Studies Hale: Saturday, Nov. 18, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register now for the next Peace Circle event Nov. 18 on O'ahu. Email HSTA Member Chris Santomauro with any questions at csantoma@gmail.com   Sign up for the 7th International Conference on Education and Social Justice Dec. 1 -3.  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: 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

Copyright © 2017 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