After the HSTA advocated for its members to receive paid time to get their COVID-19 vaccines, School Superintendent Christina Kishimoto sent a memo Friday authorizing that to Hawaii Department of Education employees.

The nonprofit Hawaii Education Association seeks active and retired teachers from all grade levels (preschool through college) and all islands to participate in online focus groups about the education profession today.

All members are encouraged to take the survey, which should take five minutes or less to complete. Those teachers who have EL responsibilities, such as classroom instruction, EL coordination, and/or support for EL services are strongly encouraged to respond.

The Hawaii State Department of Education’s chief financial officer told the Board of Education Thursday that the teachers' union correctly described congressional restrictions on reducing public school budgets after the state accepted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid.

This page contains updates issued by the Hawaii State Department of Education related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Hawaii Board of Education Thursday tabled a controversial Hawaii Department of Education proposal to use $53 million in federal pandemic stimulus funds to hire tutors for public school students as the department contemplates laying off hundreds of teachers, education assistants, and other staff.

While the governor's restoration of $123 million in school cuts is an improvement, the Hawaii Department of Education still faces roughly $140 million in cuts with hundreds of potential layoffs, the Hawaii State Teachers Association’s president said.

Congress prohibited budget cuts to public education in Hawaii in its multibillion-dollar pandemic stimulus bills, making illegal the governor and school superintendent’s plans to slash millions from public school budgets next year and lay off more than 1,000 school employees, the Hawaii State Teachers Associated revealed at a news conference Tuesday.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association strongly urges the Hawaii State Board of Education to delay approving the Hawaii State Department of Education’s stimulus funds plan. If passed, the HIDOE plan will violate recently passed federal law, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133), hurt relations with the state Legislature, and cause long-term, lasting damage to Hawaii’s keiki and their teachers.

While the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our normal activities, HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee compiled the following digital social and racial justice resources in his honor.