They learned about engaging and inspiring educator colleagues
Posted: July 29, 2024
Nearly 200 educator leaders from across the islands gathered at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center last weekend to learn how to engage and inspire their colleagues in union- and education-related work. The Hawaiʻi State Teacher Association’s 2024 Start of the Year (SOY) Conference explored member recruitment and engagement strategies as well as professional and financial planning.
School-level leaders such as faculty and grievance representatives joined chapter presidents and executive board members, members of the Board of Directors and committee chairs to attend the two-day event.
Briann Starkey, HSTA Molokaʻi Chapter president and Kualapuʻu Public Charter School teacher, co-led a session on asking new educators to join the union.
“The main thing I wanted to focus on is building relationships, having that personal connection. Sometimes the new members especially, they don’t know what’s going on, what the union is about, and all they need is an ask. So it’s about going up to them and just having that conversation, that introduction, and letting them know what being an HSTA member is all about,” said Starkey.
Courtney Harrison, a Hilo Union Elementary first-grade teacher and first-time SOY attendee, said she had a wonderful experience “meeting other teachers that have been in the profession way longer than I have and a part of HSTA. I’m learning how to protect myself and better myself in the profession. It was just amazing. I really, really enjoyed it.”
Waipahu Intermediate School 7th-grade English teacher Israel Chavez also attended his first SOY conference.
“I think this was a good refresher of ‘Let’s be positive together,’” Chavez said.
“Let’s connect with other people that we wouldn’t see every day at work,” he added
As a result of what he learned at the conference, Chavez said he wants “to give more attention to newer members and recruitment.”
Kainoa Arensdorf, a school counselor from Mountain View Elementary, said, “We have 97% of members at our school. So we just have to convince one person to join. And I want to do that in a nice, kind way.”
“We focused on a sense of belonging.,” she said.
“I think we are going back and trying to convince everybody that you’re on the best team ever. We’re professionals. We are respected in the community,” Arensdorf said.
Ray’shaun Reed is in his second year as a 7th-grade math teacher at Kealakehe Intermediate.
“This has been very empowering for me. It’s been nice to be around a lot of like-minded people who are teachers,” Reed said.
“It’s been great to hear from people who have way more experience and knowledge than me. And I’m just soaking it all in,” Reed added.
General sessions included a discussion about welcoming members to join the union and ways to energize HSTA chapters statewide. The conference featured a wide array of breakout sessions to learn about Hawaiian education, public charter school bargaining, accomplishments and goals of HSTA’s Special Education Committee, leave information, Class VIII, basic estate planning, and applying AI outside and inside the classroom.
HSTA’s chapter presidents and UniServ directors also convened chapter planning meetings to get ready for the school year that begins for teachers July 30 and for students on Aug. 5.
