Health insurance plans will cover cost of at-home COVID-19 tests starting Jan. 15

2022-01-14T10:58:54-10:00January 13, 2022|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Beginning Jan. 15, group health plans (self-insured plans) and health insurance issuers (such as insurance companies) must cover the cost of at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, regardless of whether tests are ordered by a healthcare provider. Coverage must be provided without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other medical-management requirements.

Educators should not feel obligated to volunteer to substitute for absent teachers

2022-01-13T15:48:42-10:00January 13, 2022|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Despite the Hawaii State Department of Education’s repeated claims that there are plenty of substitute teachers in the pool (they say 3,200), we know otherwise. Many substitutes in that pool are not accepting jobs during COVID-19. Some of them tell us they’re getting a half dozen or more calls a day and turning them down.

HSTA demands bargaining as omicron surge triggers school closures, teacher reassignments

2022-01-12T18:09:17-10:00January 12, 2022|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

This week, the Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted a new demand for impact bargaining to interim Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi and Hawaii Board of Education Chair Catherine Payne over recent changes by the Hawaii State Department of Education to members’ working conditions without appropriate negotiation or a consult-and-confer process, which are violations of our contract, HIDOE policy, and state law.

Schools scrambling without direction from HIDOE as omicron cases surge

2022-01-11T16:14:45-10:00January 11, 2022|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Unfortunately, with omicron cases soaring, the HIDOE still appears woefully unprepared to manage staffing and COVID-19 response with entire classes moved to cafeterias, gyms, or auditoriums given teacher absences and substitute shortage.

HIDOE updates return to school/work criteria to reflect quarantine changes

2022-01-11T16:26:23-10:00January 11, 2022|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The two major areas that have changed include definitions for being boosted or fully vaccinated recently, for purposes of quarantine requirements, and a reduction in the number of days someone would need to quarantine from 10 to five.

HSTA’s Government Relations Committee spotlights priorities for the 2022 Legislature

2022-01-08T12:36:39-10:00January 7, 2022|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The Hawaii State Legislature will convene on Jan. 19. Here are the priorities we will be advocating at the Legislature. HSTA members are encouraged to attend their chapter’s legislative reception to share these priorities with their area lawmakers.

Hawaii public schools experiencing staffing shortages due to omicron variant

2022-01-05T18:00:36-10:00January 5, 2022|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

With the recent surge in omicron-variant COVID-19 cases in the islands, Hawaii public schools saw 1,600 staff absences Wednesday, the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) revealed in a press conference.

HIDOE, DOH failed to plan for school reopening in a responsible way

2021-12-29T17:22:39-10:00December 29, 2021|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Hawaii State Department of Education and the Hawaii Department of Health had time to make better plans for situations such as this and failed to act in a responsible way.

At HSTA’s request, HIDOE shares COVID-19 response update with Omicron data ‘yet to come’

2021-12-16T18:12:55-10:00December 16, 2021|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The Hawaii Board of Education placed the update on its Dec. 16 general meeting agenda at the request of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. HSTA firmly believes regular updates to the board and the public help to improve concerns about transparency and accountability.

HIDOE asks governor to restore funding for 21 hours of job-embedded professional development

2021-12-16T16:28:03-10:00December 16, 2021|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

At a Board of Education meeting Thursday called to hear the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE)’s plan to use federal funds in the second and third rounds of the Educational Stabilization Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, education department officials said they do not plan to use federal funds to restore 21 hours of job-embedded professional development (PD) for Hawaii educators.

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