HSTA identifies key government relations priorities

T

he Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association encourages the community and decision-makers to ensure our public schools receive proper funding and resources to foster positive learning experiences for our students and bolster teaching as a respectable and viable career for educators.

One of the ways we work to improve the quality of education for Hawaiʻi’s keiki is to champion critical issues at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

The 33rd Hawaiʻi legislative session will convene on Jan. 15, and the decisions made then will determine how public education will be funded in the year ahead. The Legislature’s decisions about funding could impact teacher positions, class sizes, music, art, field trips, libraries, and more.

Download or view HSTA’s Government Relations priorities below that were determined from member input, including responses to our Government Relations survey sent to all members in the fall.

Top HSTA government relations priorities

1. Re-establish automatic annual step increases.
2. Protect public pensions for all public employees, including future hires.
3. Advocate for free lunch and breakfast for all students.
4. Fully fund high-quality Hawaiian history, language and culture at every level of education
5. Advocate for paid family leave (including, but not limited to maternity/paternity leave adoption, and kupuna care).
6. Increase funding for renovating, improving and modernizing public school facilities
7. Advocate for temporary hazard pay for Bargaining Units 5, 6 and 7

Invest wisely and effectively to meet public school needs

• Fully fund high-quality Hawaiian history, language and culture at every level of education.
• Create an additional dedicated, sustainable funding source for our public schools.
• Advocate for reliable and affordable student transportation. 
• Revise Act 51 to change per-pupil funding ratios in all schools with additional funding for rural and small schools.  
• Fully fund special education for teaching and support staff positions to meet student needs.
• Fully fund and support English language learner programs and teachers.
• Advocate for the needs of our Bargaining Unit 05 public charter school members and fully fund facilities.

Promote quality student learning environments

• Advocate for free lunch and breakfast for all students.
• Advocate for authentic assessments in lieu of state standardized testing.
• Advocate for the Board of Education to inform parents/guardians of their right to refuse standardized assessments of their child(ren).
• Reduce class sizes to improve student learning environments, safety, and opportunities.
• Expand funding for public preschool.
• Advocate for the physical well-being of children through high-quality physical education.
• Provide access to mental health education and services (including trauma, suicide prevention and awareness, etc.), high-quality sexual health education, and substance abuse education.

Create an optimal learning environment for students and teachers

• Increase funding for renovating, improving, and modernizing public school facilities.
• Fund and maintain classroom climate control, air quality, sanitation, and water quality.
• Advocate for a statewide comprehensive disaster plan and trauma response for schools.

Attract and retain highly qualified teachers to Hawaiʻi’s public education system

• Re-establish automatic step increases.
• Protect public pensions for all public employees, including future hires.
• Advocate for paid family leave (including, but not limited to maternity/paternity leave adoption, and kupuna care).
• Advocate for non-negotiated alternatives to stabilize educators’ financial security.
• Increase funding for public education to attract and retain qualified teachers.
• Provide professional assistance including mentoring, professional development, and a supportive, rather than a punitive, teacher evaluation system collaboratively created under the flexibility of the U.S. ESSA.
• Provide teachers with access to affordable rental programs and homeownership based on teachers’ salaries.
• Advocate for the National Board Certified teacher bonus to be increased from $5,000 to $15,000 in order to further incentivize educators to seek and renew their National Board Certification.
• Re-establish automatic annual step increases, preserve pensions, and establish a state teacher tax credit.
• Establish a state student loan debt relief program for public school teachers including public charter school teachers.
• Provide equitable ways to improve teacher recruitment and retention, e.g., Grow Our Own Teachers Initiative.

Support democracy and unionization

• Establish a public school teacher member (Bargaining Unit 05) on the Board of Education.
• Advocate for an elected Board of Education.
• Advocate for weekend and evening Board of Education meetings. 
• Support legislation that will protect and strengthen unions and employee rights.
• Advocate and prioritize Hawaiʻi-based procurement of resources.