HSTA holds 2-day summit for teachers on racial and social justice

The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association hosted a two-day summit to address racial and social justice in education called Hoʻokaulike: Building Equity in Schools at Ala Moana Hotel on Oʻahu, July 25 and 26. Nearly 80 educators from across the islands attended the event.

The first day of the summit focused on learning and gathering inspiration. Featured presenters included the Moanalua High Micronesian Club, community organizations, and a panel of decision-makers — Sen. Ron Kouchi, Rep. Amy Perruso, Rep. Jeanne Kapela, and Board of Education members Kaimana Barcarse and Mary Hattori — sharing their insights on building strong, equitable schools in Hawaiʻi. Educators also shared their own experiences working in racial and social justice within their communities.

The second day concentrated on organizing and networking with dedicated time for participants from the same island and/or chapter to build their local network and develop a targeted advocacy project.

HSTA’s year-long initiative by its Human and Civil Rights (HCR) Committee aims to build a network of strong, committed, passionate educators across Hawaiʻi working collaboratively across and within their communities to build solidarity, foster understanding, educate, advocate, and empower students of marginalized groups in our diverse communities.

Jodi Kunimitsu, a math teacher at Maui High School and chair of HSTA’s HCR Committee, said, “This kind of work is important, because a lot of times, in our school system, we’re working in a system that’s somewhat antiquated. And we don’t always have these partnerships or policies in place that support our students, especially like our really diverse demographics that we have in today’s schools. So to be able to do this would allow that access for our students, for educators to just help build equity.”

Kunimitsu said she and HSTA’s HCR committee are grateful for grant funding from the National Education Association’s Community Advocacy & Partnership Engagement Department, which is more commonly known as CAPE.

“There are CAPE grant projects happening all over the nation. And this is HSTA’s first CAPE grant project,” Kunimitsu said.

Verona Holder, who serves as vice chair of HCR said, “This isn’t cheap. What we’re doing today costs money, and NEA has been so supportive in helping us to get the money that we needed for it through the CAPE grant.”

“And it’s going to last the whole year. So we want to make sure that we use the money that we’ve been given in a great way so that we can benefit the teachers of Hawaiʻi,” added Holder, who is the curriculum coordinator at Mililani-Waena Elementary.

“This work is so important because students need advocates,” she said.

“I don’t want students to have to advocate for themselves, I want to give them the tools that they need too. But I want teachers to have the tools they need to advocate for students and for them to be able to speak up when they see that students are not getting their needs met, or they’re not getting their emotional needs met. And just want to make sure that we have all that we need as teachers to make that works,” said Holder, who is one of HSTA’s Central Chapter HCR Committee members.

Waianae High Social Studies teacher Ryan Tong said, “If we’re not the ones that stand up for our students, and for our populations in our communities, then there’s no one that’s going to really be doing it.”

“So we have a unique perspective of seeing our students day to day, and really understanding their concerns, and bringing those concerns to the forefront of our politicians, and folks that, you know, make an impact and set policy within Hawaiʻi,” added Tong, an HCR Committee member from HSTA’s Leeward Chapter.

Kunimitsu, the HCR chair, said, “We are starting a program to build networks of teachers across the state that can that will do social justice work, racial and social justice work in schools. We’re hoping to get out of this project that will develop on different islands that might be related to educational policy and might be related to schools, programs, coalitions between communities and schools.”

“A lot of times when we do this work, it feels like we’re working in silos or by ourselves. And so we’re hoping that with this particular convening, we’re able to start those networks by meeting other teachers who might be in our same schools, chapters or locations that we can do the work together with, and also as a committee provide resources for those smaller networks, wherever they are across the state,” Kunimitsu added.