Thirty Years of Service

If only teachers had nothing more to worry about than finding creative ways to motivate their students. Unfortunately, that is hardly the case. Fortunately, teachers in Hawaii have had one staunch advocate.

On January 1, 1971, with the formal incorporation of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, a core group of dedicated visionaries came together to form the frontline in the battle to bring education and teacher issues to the forefront of the State's public agenda. Now, more than a quarter of a century later, many of those same leaders are still fighting for teachers' rights. Today, they are focused on a new set of goals and priorities, but their ideals remain the same - to make school a better place for teachers and students alike.

Education is the fundamental foundation of our society. This simple principle drives the ongoing efforts of the Association as it represents teachers in the workplace and beyond. The Association works, not simply to get "perks" for teachers, but to create an environment where teachers have every opportunity to do their best for the students. HSTA has long recognized that students are the true beneficiaries of education - advances made on behalf of teachers benefit students - and the more students gain from education, the more we all gain in the long run.

These are tremendously challenging times. Teachers are being asked to do more for a larger, more diverse student population, while facing greater obstacles in and out of the classroom, with far fewer resources.

Although this may seem like an escalating crisis, just look around to see how much teachers achieve in the classroom every day. Certainly, much can be attributed to their own amazing ingenuity, but teachers also have come to rely on the Association as a vigorous advocate of their cause. The Association is valued not only for the hard fought victories won on teachers' behalf in the tumultuous days of the early 70s, but also for the groundbreaking accomplishments in many emerging areas of professional concern to teachers.

HSTA and teachers form a partnership that works.


Trial and Triumph: The Early Years

Without the organized unified voice of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii's public school teachers would likely be working under vastly different circumstances than they find themselves today.
HSTA gave teachers much more than just a "voice." The Association also gave them the knowledge that they didn't have to accept an untenable situation, they could stand together and say, "We want something better for ourselves and our students."

As recently as the late 1960s, teachers found the following conditions:
• no duty-free lunch period
• an extremely limited holiday schedule
• open-ended work days
• faculty meetings outside the regular day
• expected to schedule all parent-teacher conferences outside the regular school day
• forced to monitor classroom and bathroom cleaning and
• asked to work under conditions that were considered too hazardous for their students.

At that time, the Department of Education treated teachers as though they were second-class citizens. As one veteran educator puts it, "They treated us like we were stupid." It was all too clear that if teachers were to have a voice or gain any professional recognition, they would have to unite and stand up for themselves.

In the mid-60s, there was a veritable explosion in the number of teachers needed. Suddenly, the Department found itself hiring 4,000 - 5,000 teachers to fill the newly created positions. Most of the teachers were young, fresh from school and well versed in the exploits of the civil rights and anti-war movements. Almost immediately, their presence infused teachers throughout the state with new ideas, fresh perspective and a growing interest in the power of activism.
At this point, the social and political turmoil of the 1960s ran headlong into the quiet complacency of an education system where teachers were expected to go to work, do what was asked of them, and go home at the end of the day without disputing their circumstances.

Into this environment came a whole new generation of teachers who had no qualms about asserting their rights and standing up for what they believed in. These "Young Turks" as they were known, ignited a flame of reform and political action that has been, and continues to be, the hallmark of HSTA.

The civil rights movement played a pivotal role in the evolution of the Association and the unified representation of teachers. Collective bargaining was the initial flash point for teachers who were looking for a way to improve working conditions. The 1968 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention made collective bargaining a constitutional right and opened the door for teachers to take action for themselves.

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