2026 Teacher Institute Day
Mark your calendars! The dates for 2026 Teacher Institute Day are set. The HSTA’s Institute Day Committee is submitting the following dates to HIDOE to approve for next year:
Monday, Feb. 9, 2026
Oʻahu chapters:
Central, Honolulu, Leeward, Koʻolau
Friday, Feb. 13, 2026
Neighbor island chapters:
Hilo, Hāmākua, Kauaʻi, Kohala, Kona, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi
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.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education employees will be allowed access to campus to utilize equipment and internet connectivity on Teacher Institute Day.
The HIDOE’s latest memo clarifies, “The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association has indicated that some or all of the Teacher Institute Day Activities may be held virtually, necessitating access to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (Department) campuses and using Department equipment and internet 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.