HSTA T-shirt order deadline extended to May 1
Shirt orders are being filled on a rolling basis and more than 5,000 shirts have been ordered and sent out so far. If you haven’t heard about ordering options, please talk to your HFR to order your new HSTA shirt. The deadline to get shirts this school year has been extended to May 1.
Teacher tax credit back on the table, passes Senate Ways and Means Committee
A bill that would establish a state income tax credit for educators and librarians, which previously stalled in this year’s legislative session, has been revived and unanimously passed the Hawaiʻi State Senate’s important Ways and Means Committee Wednesday.
Hawaiʻi educator journeys to Galapagos Islands on National Geographic expedition
This travel diary by Laura Cummings, a math and science teacher at Sunset Beach Elementary, chronicles her experiences as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow as she journeyed to the Galapagos Islands.
2023 Teach Our Future benefit concert raises $45K for Hawaiʻi educators
The Hawaiʻi Foundation for Educators (HFE) teamed up Saturday with local music performers for the third annual “Teach Our Future” benefit concert to raise over $45,000 for teacher professional development.
Hawaiʻi Island teacher speaks at International Transgender Day of Visibility event at state Capitol
“It is important for Hawaiʻi students to know that they are safe in their classrooms, their schools, and throughout the state,” said Kea’au Elementary School teacher Daphna Ehrenhaldt during a rally Friday afternoon celebrating the International Transgender Day of Visibility at the state Capitol.
Additional salary funds released for public charter school teachers
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association is happy to report that after many months of working with the Hawaiʻi Public Charter School Commission, State Budget and Finance, and individual public charter schools, funding for public charter schools has been released to cover costs from compression repricing, 21-hours, and shortage differentials.
Reimbursements available for English learner TESOL credits
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s recently alerted the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association about an opportunity for HIDOE teachers to be reimbursed for costs of seeking completion of their of six Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Sheltered Instruction Qualification (SIQ) course credits.
Hawaiʻi senator calls out attacks on LGBTQ+ students with new proposal
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D, Hawaiʻi), introduced a resolution Wednesday to demand equal educational opportunities, basic civil rights, and freedom from erasure for all students in K-12 schools amid a rise of attacks against LGBTQ+ students in schools.
Hawaiʻi teacher cohort kicks off journey toward Master’s of Education
A total of 25 Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association members gathered in person Saturday at HSTA headquarters with neighbor island members joining online for the first meeting of the Master’s of Education degree cohort in a joint effort with HSTA, Spalding University, the nonprofit What School Could Be and the national education design lab called 2Revolutions.
Lawmakers broaden educator housing eligibility to all school employees
Lawmakers this week broadened the eligibility for planned educator housing rentals, allowing public school employees besides teachers to take advantage of the units when they’re built.