Around 25 aspiring educators from various university and community college programs across Hawaii attended an open house at the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s (HSTA) headquarters on Oʻahu last month. The event aimed to highlight the importance of unionism for future teachers.
These aspiring educators are either currently enrolled in or planning to join teacher preparation programs. Throughout the day, they learned about the significance of unions and how collective efforts can drive change.
HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. began the session by sharing his experiences as a teacher and his involvement with union activities. Participants then engaged in three different sessions focusing on teaching and unionism.
Shannon Eustace, a sixth-grade teacher at Iao Intermediate in Maui and an HSTA professional development instructor, conducted sessions on the Model Code of Ethics. This code serves as a guide for teachers’ daily decisions in classrooms.
Kristin Hamada, Uniserv Director for HSTA’s Koʻolau Chapter, discussed with students topics such as union democracy, contract details, and the importance of representation and advocacy for teachers’ rights.
Joshua Kamalani, a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu and a member of both the National Education Association and Advisory Committee of Aspiring Educators (ACAE), led an activity to identify inequities in their current or past school placements. The discussion included issues like free lunch availability, equity in teaching materials, instructional opportunities for students, and concerns about unsupervised students in the afternoons.
At the conclusion of this activity, attendees signed commitment cards pledging to join the union once they become full-time teachers.
Kamalani expressed enthusiasm about the event’s impact: “Our HSTA-AE open house felt like a huge stepping stone in building our state’s Aspiring Educators program.” He emphasized their goal to expand their state program while highlighting the benefits of joining both their union and Aspiring Educators program.
Marley Grjegaian from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa commented positively on her experience: “Thank you for a great open house, and I’m so excited to be a part of HSTA.”
The event concluded with gratitude extended towards all participating aspiring educators for engaging with HSTA’s values. The association looks forward to welcoming them as members in the future.
