HIDOE releases health and safety guidance for the 2022–23 school year
On July 26, 2022, the Hawaii State Department of Education updated its health and safety guidance for schools for the 2022–23 school year including some significant changes.
DOH: Masking optional in updated school guidance; quarantine, social distancing will also ease
HSTA recommends that all Bargaining Unit 05 members continue to practice mitigating strategies whenever possible, which includes staying up to date with vaccines and boosters, and masking indoors to minimize the chances of catching COVID, especially given the ongoing shortage of substitute teachers.
Schools scrambling without direction from HIDOE as omicron cases surge
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.
Some Hawaii schools holding unsafe in-person staff meetings
Educators who reported back to work for the new school year this week said that some principals are insisting on holding in-person meetings with large numbers of staff in school libraries and other school facilities, risky behavior that goes against HIDOE's own guidance.
Vaccinations emphasized in Department of Health’s updated guidance for schools
HSTA President Osa Tui Jr. says he and fellow HSTA leaders are continuing to absorb the updated guidance, and stressed during a news conference Monday that “our teachers have wanted to be back in school with their students for a while now, and they are committed to making their classrooms as safe as possible for their students.”
HSTA supports continued mask-wearing, distance learning options for 2021–22 school year
The Hawaii State Teachers Association has always said that it’s best to follow the science, and we look forward to seeing what guidance our state departments of health and education issue based on today’s recommendations.
Teachers receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in first phase of distribution
Educators will begin to get access to COVID-19 vaccines on a regular basis toward the end of January and early February, state officials said, while Kauai public school employees will get vaccinated starting Monday.
HSTA calls on state to improve school COVID-19 models
With the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, the Hawaii State Teachers Association demands that the Hawaii Department of Health and the Hawaii Department of Education revise the standard used to determine school learning models.
Determine how prepared your worksite is to reopen during this pandemic
School level leaders encouraged to complete health and safety assessment
HSTA: Latest school guidance metrics still fall short of federal guidelines
According to Hawaii State Teachers Association analysis of the new metrics, the DOH standards are not well aligned with risk-level metrics issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.