With Hawaii and the United States in declared states of emergency, the Hawaii State Teachers Association is taking action to ensure our members’ contractual rights, and health and well-being are protected.
On Sunday, Gov. David Ige announced that student spring break for all Hawaii public schools will be extended through the week of March 23–27. All public school students, including those at charter schools, are not to return to school until at least March 30.
The Hawaii State Department of Education currently expects 12-month teachers to report to work on Monday, March 16. The HIDOE also expects all BU05 members to report to work on Monday, March 23, with 10-month teachers expected to “plan for implementation of social distancing within the school setting, arrange for professional development to support modified operations.”
View the HIDOE’s news release here.
We have serious reservations as this current plan violates Article X – Teacher Protection in our contract.
G. When students are sent home from school or are not required to attend due to emergencies which endanger health or safety, teachers will not be required to remain at, nor report to, said schools.
On Sunday evening, we had an initial informal grievance meeting with the HIDOE. We felt the discussion was productive and we were able to share our members' concerns about the HIDOE’s current plan. We expect to hear back from the HIDOE by late Sunday night or Monday morning, and will post an update on our website and social media channels as soon as we do.
UPDATE: HSTA received notice that all multi-track teachers, regardless of 10-month or 12-month, are not to report to work the week of March 16–20 and should have received this information from their respective administration. We are continuing to work on other concerns related to the HIDOE’s recent announcements.
Over the last week, we have gathered and presented additional questions and concerns to the HIDOE related to the State of Hawaii’s COVID-19 response. We are working to clarify how this will impact teachers, students, and curriculum moving forward, especially given new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommends in-person events consisting of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
“Throughout this crisis, the health and safety of our members and our keiki are our paramount concern. There are many unanswered questions and the HSTA stands ready to act decisively to protect our keiki’s best interests and our members’ collective bargaining rights,” said HSTA President Corey Rosenlee.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. As information changes, we have seen rumors circulate. Please check with the Hawaii Department of Health, HIDOE, HSTA, and other official sources for updates.
If you believe your contract is being violated and/or have a concern, please check with your HSTA school level leaders or contact the nearest HSTA office and ask to speak with a UniServ. You can also email info@hsta.org.
Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate these unprecedented times together.