Statements by Hawaii State Department of Education Superintendent Christina Kishimoto triggered a number of questions related to our members and public schools. Here are a couple of FAQs to clarify a few of those issues.

The recent announcement means that we don't expect Bargaining Unit 05 employees on Oahu to be provided access to their worksite or campus after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23.

This morning, the Hawaii State Teachers Association and Hawaii State Department of Education signed a letter of agreement that provides a framework to allow our members to work from home for the duration of preparations and response to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

HSTA leaders spent about three hours negotiating with the employer today to work out a conceptual agreement for our members to work from home. When that agreement is finalized, we will send an email update to our members with more details.

The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) announced today it will keep all public schools closed for a total of three weeks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

We feel, as many of you do, that this announcement is incredibly vague. We have not negotiated an agreement regarding the work of Bargaining Unit 05 teachers from March 23 on.

If you are a 12-month teacher and not on a multi-track, please review the procedures and related documents, then reach out to your supervisor and discuss your options.

On March 17, the Hawaii State Teachers Association filed a prohibited practice complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board over Gov. David Ige’s plan directing teachers to return to public schools on March 23.

On March 16, HSTA live-streamed a briefing on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to offer a comprehensive overview of where things currently stood, and what questions and concerns we posed to the HIDOE.

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.