2027 Teacher Institute Day
Institute Day set for Feb. 8, 2027
HSTA’s Institute Committee has submitted Monday, Feb. 8 to HIDOE for our next virtual Institute Day. Expect the department to send out an official memo announcing the date in the next few months. In 2027, we will plan to have educators on all islands join the online Institute main program and breakouts on the same day. This year, HSTA had planned one date for Oʻahu teachers and one for neighbor islanders but we had to combine the sessions into one day because stormy weather closed state and county government on Feb. 9.
HSTA’s Institute program will take place virtually. Teacher Institute Day is the single largest professional development day on the school calendar. It covers a variety of topics for professional and personal growth and features noteworthy keynote speakers. You DO NOT need to register for an HSTA.org web account to attend Institute, and no advance registration is necessary. Chapters may choose to plan an in-person event that follows the virtual event. Teacher Institute Day is a workday, and the HIDOE is allowing access to campus and use of department equipment and connectivity.
About Teacher Institute Day
Teacher Institute is a contractual work day for all Bargaining Unit 05 members and attendance is expected.
Teacher Institute Day began in the 1960s as a day for teachers to meet and work on school-related issues. In 1972, HSTA negotiated this important time into the contract to guard against it being taken away. In the early years, the Association used Teacher Institute Day to inform teachers about negotiations, lobbying, political action and grievance processing. As time progressed, HSTA introduced workshops to help teachers with their jobs and personal concerns such as retirement and health care. Teacher Institute Day is the single largest professional development day on the school calendar. It covers a variety of topics for professional and personal growth and features noteworthy keynote speakers.
In 2017, the focus of Institute Day was to inform teachers about negotiations and their contract. Thousands of teachers united and rallied and made their voices heard at the Hawaii State Capitol. As a result of strong collective action across the state that spring, the HSTA negotiated a nearly 14-percent pay hike over four years.
2026 General Session
Click on the video below to watch the 2026 General Session.