Jill Meinecke2026-01-13T12:30:20-10:00January 13, 2026|Categories: News|Tags: 2025 legislative session, BU 05, COVID hazard pay, COVID-19, Hawaii Board of Education, Hawaii Department of Education, Hawaii Legislature, HSTA legislative priorities, teacher hazard pay, Teacher housing, Teacher Temporary Hazard Pay Special Fund|
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (HSTA) has established the protection and enhancement of educators' financial security as its top priority for the 2026 legislative session, which begins later this month.
Jill Meinecke2025-12-19T15:03:50-10:00December 16, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: books, culture, EL, EL coordinator, EL students, EL teacher, English learners, Hanahau‘oli School, Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Hawaii Department of Education, HIDOE, Kihei, Kihei Elementary, Maui, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa|
EL Coordinator Erin Kowalick and Mahala Quintana, an EL teacher, both of Kīhei Elementary, launched a “Culturally Relevant Books” project at their school, aiming to equip each classroom with diverse and culturally significant titles to help K-5 students see themselves on the pages.
Jill Meinecke2025-09-05T16:00:10-10:00September 5, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: Andrea Eshelman, Hawaii Department of Education, Hawaii public schools, HIDOE, HSTA executive director, HSTA staff, Joan Lewis, Negotiations, Osa Tui, Pearl City High, School Level Leader|
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association Board of Directors has appointed Andrea Eshelman as HSTA’s next executive director. She brings nearly three decades of experience as a public school teacher, union leader, manager and chief negotiator to her new position.
Jill Meinecke2025-08-28T09:52:44-10:00August 28, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: BU 05, compression, compression fix, Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board, Hawaii Department of Education, HIDOE, HLRB, out of state experience, repricing|
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (HSTA) has been granted permission to intervene in a court appeal of a labor board decision concerning hundreds of its members who have not received credit for prior teaching experience.
Jill Meinecke2025-06-26T13:54:15-10:00June 26, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: Affordable housing, collective bargaining, cost of living, Hawaii Department of Education, HIDOE, Jr., legislature, Logan Okita, Osa Tui, School Facilities Authority, Teacher housing, teacher pay, Teacher recruitment, teacher retention, teacher shortage|
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association proposed four key solutions earlier this month that could help with teacher recruitment and retention, ensuring the teaching profession remains robust here for years to come, so children in Hawaiʻi receive a quality education.
Jill Meinecke2025-06-20T10:05:26-10:00June 20, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: CHIP, Hawaii Department of Education, ICE, immigration, Immigration Custom Enforcement, Medicaid, National Education Association, NEA, NPR, public schools, The Four Freedoms Fund|
Amid federal policies and actions aimed at threatening freedoms, undermining justice, and making critical funding cuts, the National Education Association (NEA) is calling on members and the greater community to push back.
Jill Meinecke2025-05-21T15:15:35-10:00May 21, 2025|Categories: News|Tags: Hawaii Department of Education, Osa Tui, shortage differentials, teacher compensation, teacher pay, teacher salary|
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education is partnering with the Experience Management Institute (EXMI) on a comprehensive Compensation Impact Study focused on teacher salary compression.
Jill Meinecke2024-12-06T09:36:46-10:00December 3, 2024|Categories: News|Tags: educator retention, Gov. Josh Green, Hawaii Department of Education, HERO award, Keith Hayashi, Lahaina, lahaina hero awards, Lahaina wildfires, Teacher housing|
State and local leaders are addressing critical needs and celebrating the resilience of Lahaina public school educators through two major initiatives.
Jill Meinecke2024-12-18T12:22:36-10:00December 2, 2024|Categories: News|Tags: Agriculture, business, Central Theatre Arts Academy, Hawaii Board of Education, Hawaii Department of Education, Learning Center programs, Mililani High, Performing arts, STEM|
Geneva Esguerra, an acting and play production teacher at the Central Theatre Arts Academy based at Mililani High, helped spearhead a successful campaign to stop the BOE from approving the slashing of $1.7 million from the budget for statewide learning center programs.
Jill Meinecke2024-04-11T12:34:42-10:00April 11, 2024|Categories: News|Tags: Curt Otaguro, fire alarm systems, fire drills, Hawaii Board of Education, Hawaii Department of Education, HIDOE, Jr., Osa Tui|
A review by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education found that the number of public schools without working fire alarm systems more than doubled from 11 the department reported in January to 22 this month.
