The Hawaii State Teachers Association has issued the following press release:
The Hawaii State Teachers Association is excited to announce our support for Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s campaign for governor. The HSTA announced the recommendation at a news conference Friday morning at HSTA headquarters in Honolulu.
Photos and video courtesy of the Hawaii State Teachers Association are available here. (News conference speakers in order of appearance: Osa Tui Jr., HSTA president; Lt. Gov. Josh Green; Wendy Nickl, Kohala Middle School teacher.)
Public school roots; A strong record supporting public education
A product of public education and valedictorian of his public high school, Josh married the former Jaime Ushiroda of Kaneohe. Josh has almost a dozen public school teachers in his Hawaii family including his brother-in-law, aunties, and cousins, so he understands and strongly supports our public education system.
“When Hawaii’s public school educators needed something, Josh Green was always a champion for our issues,” said HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. “This included our efforts to find ways to fully fund public education and give our keiki the schools they deserve. When thousands of our teachers descended upon the state Capitol in 2017, Josh Green was right there with us, helping to make our voices heard.
“He’s demonstrated that he cares about the future for our keiki and the wellbeing of the neediest in our communities, especially in our rural areas. He’s established that he will go ‘all-in’ to improve things that need improving. Josh Green will stir the pot, think outside of the box, and do whatever it takes to get the best results for Hawaii’s people,” Tui said.
Wendy Nickl, a teacher at Kohala Middle School and HSTA Kohala Chapter president said, “Josh supports our keiki through his advocacy for public schools. He cares about making things better for Hawaiiʻs children. His medical career, his legislative record, and his achievements as our lieutenant governor, show the commitment he has to making life in Hawaii the best it can be for our local ohana.”
Green reacted to the union's recommendation and said, “Every child in Hawaii deserves a first-class public education no matter what zip code they live in, and the mission and values of HSTA align with that goal. I will work side by side with HSTA to give our teachers and students the tools they need to succeed.
“I support Hawaii’s teachers, and I’m proud to have the endorsement of HSTA,” Green added.
As a lawmaker who served in the Hawaii State House of Representatives and State Senate from 2004 to 2018 representing Kona and Kaʻu, Josh worked to ensure more funding was provided for Hawaii public schools. In 2018, he strongly supported a constitutional amendment to create additional revenue to fund public schools. In the Senate, he also chaired the Health and Human Services committees.
Josh understands how the state needs to create a reliable pipeline of local educators and how having affordable housing for public school employees and all Hawaii residents must be a top priority. His campaign centers on key issues like affordable housing, investing in the people of Hawaii and nurturing children.
Learn more about HSTA’s recommendation at www.hsta.org.
About the Hawaii State Teachers Association recommendation process
The Hawaii State Teachers Association is the exclusive representative of 13,500 public school teachers statewide. HSTA represents and supports teachers in collective bargaining, legislative and professional development issues.
HSTA recommends candidates who are strong supporters of public education, our educators, labor, and are committed to creating a better future for our keiki.
HSTA sent out questionnaires to candidates in January and HSTA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC) interviewed them in February. The committee is made up of volunteer member leaders from each of HSTA’s 12 chapters across the state of Hawaii. Based on those responses and the interviews, the HSTA Board of Directors made a final decision to support him in the governor’s race.