They learned new skills, held chapter discussions, heard motivating speeches
Posted: August 22, 2022
Nearly 200 Hawaii State Teachers Association volunteer school-level leaders from around the state gathered this past weekend at the Hawaii Convention Center for the 2022 HSTA Start of Year Conference.
Teacher leaders from all islands participated in the two-day conference, which included networking, presentations, and breakout sessions all focused on strengthening the union and using collective voice to gain more wins for public school educators and keiki.
HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. kicked off the conference by recounting the struggles educators have faced in the past few years and how through the power of the union, teachers were able to band together to achieve success.
While Tui described School Year 2021-22 as “the most exhausting year ever” due to pandemic-related stressors such as student and teacher absenteeism. But he said it was also the year when the Legislature and Gov. David Ige funded shortage differentials, restored job-embedded 21-hours of professional development, and fixed the long-problematic salary compression.
“Friends in elected office matter,” Tui said, referring to HSTA’s recent legislative wins and the Hawaii primary election results, where many of HSTA’s recommended candidates were successful in their runs.
Looking toward this school year, Tui said, “You’ll see this year an emphasis on issues that impact our Hawaiian communities. You’ll see your union advocating for affordable housing. You’ll see your union pushing for ways to better recruit and retain highly qualified educators for Hawaii’s keiki.”
“Our success going forward this year and into the future is going to be dependent on maintaining a strong union,” he added.
HSTA’s Executive Director Ann Mahi addressed members and reinforced the important role teacher leaders play in the success of HSTA.
Mahi remembered seeing striking public school teachers in front of her Kaneohe elementary school while she was studying at the University of Hawaii.
She asked her 6th-grade teacher Mrs. Uyeda why they walked the picket line, and “she told me of the need for teachers to organize to make changes to unfair labor practices that forced them to work beyond the school day, to guarantee a duty-free lunch and to give them a voice or choice in the decisions being made that impacted them,” Mahi recalled.
“I can still remember all of them, my heroes doing what needed to be done to enhance the professional roles of teachers, uphold high standards of truth and ethics, promote quality public education and ensure the rights of employees in a democracy,” Mahi said.
“All of you in this room are an important part of HSTA’s collective power. You are the leaders we rely on and want to support,” Mahi said.
“Just by being here today, you demonstrate your commitment to education and to all educators in our public schools who dedicate their professional lives to making a difference for na keiki, lahui, and the future of Hawaii,” Mahi continued.
The National Education Association’s Secretary-Treasurer Noel Candelaria also spoke at the Start of Year Conference about the importance of collective action.
“The real power in numbers is when we organize individuals to take collective action,” Candelaria said. “We cannot advocate effectively in the halls of Congress, or in the state houses without organized membership. We cannot bargain effectively, we cannot fight for school funding, we cannot fight for our democracy, and dismantle systemic racism without organized members. See members make a difference. But organized members make the difference.”
“People don’t join organizations, people join other people. When we build those quality relationships with our members and potential members, we’re building a true sense, as you call it here, a true sense of ohana. And that’s where we build what it means to be a union,” he added.
Teachers benefit from in-person collaboration, learning
Start of Year Conference attendees said they benefited from spending time together with fellow union leaders.
Caleb Stroud is a school-level leader who teaches middle school humanities at Innovations Public Charter School in HSTA’s Kona Chapter.
“It’s so great to network with my colleagues and to get caught up with all the new information and just be reminded of the contract and all of the rights and privileges that are in there and benefits for our members,” Stroud said.
It’s important for the union’s school-level leaders to attend events like this, Stroud said, “to hear from the top leadership and you’re able to ask questions, you’re able to get information from the people who really have it, so it’s not second- or third-hand information.”
View: HSTA’s 2022 Start of Year Conference Album
Keaau Elementary special education teacher Amy Masaoka traveled to the conference from HSTA’s Hilo Chapter, which she represents on the Membership Services Committee.
Masaoka said she enjoyed “Really focusing on why I’m here and why we’re leaders because HSTA is all about our members, so it was a good refresher or reminder for me.”
The two-day conference featured breakout sessions on a variety of topics, from updates and feedback about the teacher evaluation system, charter schools and special education to learning about how to become an influencer with the power to make change.
HSTA Secretary-Treasurer Lisa Morrison and Kauai Chapter President Sarah Tochiki held a session on “Effecting Change Within HSTA and Beyond,” while members of HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee conducted a breakout on HSTA CARES, our social and racial justice training initiative.
Other sessions focused on growing member-driven advocacy for Hawaiian education, how to develop and share personal stories to build relationships with members and how to understand the school-based budgeting process and timeline.