Hawaii educators instrumental in new NEA policy on safe, just, and equitable schools

2022-07-08T16:52:49-10:00July 6, 2022|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

They spent the better part of a year meeting virtually and in person to identify the criteria for safe, just, and equitable schools, including exploring the role of law enforcement in education and compiling data.

HIDOE, DOH haven’t discussed student vaccine mandate yet

2021-09-22T13:42:29-10:00September 17, 2021|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi of the Hawaii State Department of Education came under fire Thursday for haphazard COVID-19 testing in public schools and said he had not held discussions yet with state health officials about a possible vaccination mandate for public school students age 12 and older.

Lawmakers direct HIDOE to use federal aid to preserve school jobs, avoid pay cuts

2021-02-17T18:40:15-10:00February 17, 2021|Categories: COVID-19, News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The schools superintendent faces increasing pressure from state lawmakers to rescind budget cuts and direct federal stimulus aid to keep school employees on the payroll and maintain their current levels of pay instead of implementing pay cuts, layoffs, or hiring tutors.

HIDOE validates HSTA’s warnings of federal stimulus violations

2021-02-05T01:27:31-10:00January 23, 2021|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Hawaii State Department of Education’s chief financial officer told the Board of Education Thursday that the teachers' union correctly described congressional restrictions on reducing public school budgets after the state accepted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid.

State plans to revise school reopening thresholds, skewing toward more stringent federal guidelines

2020-11-05T15:57:07-10:00October 10, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

After the Hawaii State Department of Health’s school reopening metrics came under intense criticism because, among other things, they were as much as 10 times less stringent than federal metrics, the state epidemiologist told state senators Friday that her department is “looking at coming up with a revised draft of the thresholds.” 

Senators grill superintendent on teacher telework, PPE

2020-11-05T15:47:20-10:00August 20, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

During a Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, state senators pressed Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto about why more teachers aren’t allowed to telework when students are learning from home, and why educators are spending their own money for protective gear.

Days before students return, 7 more COVID-19 cases reported at schools

2021-02-05T07:17:17-10:00August 16, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the last four days, the Hawaii State Teachers Association has received reports of employees at seven Oahu schools diagnosed with COVID-19, even before students return to public school campuses on Monday.

HSTA has serious concerns about HIDOE’s three-phase reopening plan

2020-08-08T12:56:00-10:00August 8, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , , |

HSTA was not consulted nor notified prior to Friday’s announcement, and learned of the developments alongside the public. HSTA has subsequently demanded impact bargaining with the employer as the changes would have ramifications on numerous parts of our current contract.

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