Hawaii schools are filling classrooms with unlicensed teachers: Here's how it could reshape education for years to come

As students returned to classrooms this month, Hawaii's Department of Education (DOE) reported a sharp drop in teacher vacancies, with only 73 unfilled positions across the state.

This marks the lowest number of vacancies reported in more than five years, a significant decrease from the over 1,000 vacancies that followed the Covid-19 pandemic.However, this improvement comes amid a growing reliance on emergency hires — teachers without full licences — to staff public school classrooms. In August last year, Hawaii schools began the academic year with 670 emergency hires, reflecting an 80% increase from four years prior, as reported by the Associated Press.Emergency hires helping to fill gaps in the workforceEmergency hires, while unlicensed, are permitted to teach for up to three years provided they work toward obtaining full licensure during that period. The recent surge in their numbers has been partly attributed to policy measures aimed at improving teacher recruitment, including a pay increase introduced in 2023. According to the Associated Press, emergency hires currently earn approximately $50,300 annually, compared to $38,500 previously.

Retention data suggests that emergency hires often remain in the profession, though their effectiveness may not match that of licensed teachers. A study by the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research found that students taught by emergency hires during the pandemic in Massachusetts posted lower scores in maths and science.Pathways to licensure and support programmesTo support unlicensed teachers in becoming certified, the state offers pathways such as the Grow Our Own initiative at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The programme covers tuition costs for teacher preparation and requires graduates to serve in public schools for at least three years. One such example is Brandon Galarita, who began teaching at Ke'elikolani Middle School in 2018 as an emergency hire and later obtained his licence in 2020.

Galarita said that teaching while studying allowed him to enter the profession sustainably, as reported by the Associated Press.Although the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board monitors emergency hires, it does not regularly publish data on how many go on to become licensed educators and remain in public schools.Recruitment from overseas and other retention effortsHawaii is also utilising international recruitment to supplement its workforce. At Wai'anae Intermediate School, Principal John Wataoka reported hiring seven international teachers in the past two years.

Through the J-1 visa programme, which the DOE has participated in since 2019, around 100 international teachers, mostly from the Philippines, were hired this year, according to Superintendent Keith Hayashi in a Board of Education meeting earlier this month, as reported by the Associated Press.Incentives for hard-to-staff locations have also played a role. Teachers in remote schools like Hana receive bonuses of $8,000 annually, which have helped reduce financial strain.

Chris Sanita, Principal of Hana High and Elementary, said the bonuses allowed teachers to avoid holding multiple jobs, as quoted by the Associated Press.Teacher exits and future challengesDespite these efforts, the 2023–24 school year saw an increase in teacher departures. More than 1,200 teachers voluntarily left their positions through resignation or retirement, compared to around 1,000 the previous year.

According to Osa Tui Jr., president of the state teachers' union, some educators may have felt more secure in making career changes post-pandemic. Tui also noted that teachers hired before 2012 may retire soon to take advantage of state pension calculations based on their highest three years of salary, as quoted by the Associated Press.To address retention, the state implemented a 3% pay raise for all public school teachers this year, with some experienced educators receiving up to 7%, as reported by the Associated Press.The DOE continues to seek long-term solutions to maintain staffing levels and ensure consistent educational delivery across Hawaii's schools.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.