Become a Teacher in Hawaii
HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Hawaii Public Schools Website
1390 Miller Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-3230
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Hawaii
Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 04/22/2020)
All states require that prospective teachers have at least a Bachelor’s degree and complete a state-approved teacher preparation program to receive certification. Some states also have specific course and credit-hour requirements. Hawaii does not list specific course or credit hour requirements, but every college or university teacher preparation program will have requirements of its own. Contact your teacher preparation program or the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board for more information.
To earn your teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs in Hawaii can be found on the HTSB website.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.coms' Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To earn your Hawaii teaching credential you will have to complete the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Learn more about getting your Teaching Credential in Hawaii on the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board website.
Hawaii issues three types of licenses. The Provisional License, issued to graduates of Hawaii State Approved Teacher Education Programs, and is a 3-year nonrenewable license.The Standard License is available to approved applicants with valid teaching licenses or degrees from another state or with teaching experience outside Hawaii and have taught 3 of the previous 5 years. The Advanced License is available to teachers who have either completed a graduate degree or received a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate and have taught 5 of the previous 8 years.
Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.
Discover an 8-week Online Teaching Short Course from Harvard's Bok Center
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Alternative Certification in Hawaii
Hawaii offers the Re-specialization in Special Education (RISE) licensing program that helps special education teachers with only a Bachelor's degree reach their certificate through a two-year integrated course of on-the-job training. There is also a one-year course for teachers who already hold an elementary or secondary teaching certificate but are not certified to teach special education.
Hawaii Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Hawaii
Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Hawaii, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Hawaii Department of Education.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Hawaii Teachers
Professional Development in Hawaii is run by PDE3: Professional Development for Experiences that Educate and Empower. PDE3 runs the Teacher Professional Development Credit Program, through which teachers can take courses and reach Highly Qualified status. PDE3 also runs an integrated, multi-year induction program that provides activities and workshops for beginning teachers.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Hawaii
It is no longer enough to just have years of experience for teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, the careers of teachers increasingly depend on their results in the classroom. A master's degree in the field of education can give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After a Master’s program, you may be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay.
Teachers holding a Master’s degree in Hawaii can expect to earn you $3,000 more, depending on years of experience than those with only a Bachelor’s degree.
Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Jobs, Benefits, and Opportunities for Teachers in Hawaii
Hawaii Teaching Jobs
The Hawaii Department of Education maintains a Job Opportunities web page for educators, which provides information on openings and needed teaching specialties. Hawaii also recruits returning military personnel through the Troops to Teachers program.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Hawaii Teacher Salary and Incentives
Salary specifics based on education and experience can be found on the Hawaii Teachers’ Salary Schedule for 2018-2019. Hawaii is currently experiencing a shortage in special education trained teachers, so additional salary and benefits are being offered in that area.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Hawaii Teacher Benefits and Retirement
The Hawaii Department of Education offers several employee benefit plans. Retirement benefits are run through the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System (ERS). Other benefits include optional health benefits through the Hawaii State Teacher Association Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Trust (HSTA VEBA), flexible spending accounts, tax deferral programs, Resources for Employee Assistance & Counseling Help (REACH), and workers’ compensation. Public employees in Hawaii can retire at age 65 with at least 10 years of service, and at age 60 with at least 30 years of service.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Hawaii Teacher Shortage Areas
The United States Department of Education defines a Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) as a subject matter or grade level within a state in which there is an inadequate supply of elementary or secondary teachers. The shortage may be caused by teaching positions that are unfilled or are filled by teachers who have temporary certification or teach in in academic subject other than their area of preparation. According to a report by the USDE Office of Postsecondary Education (Pg 45), Hawaii has the following Teacher Shortage Areas:
- English as a Second Language
- Foreign Languages
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Special Education
- Vocational/Technical
Teacher Shortage information was provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listings for 2020–2021, and was determined by examining the most recent data about unfilled teaching positions; positions filled by teachers certified by irregular, provisional, temporary, or emergency certification; and teachers teaching in subject areas other than their area of preparation.
Financial Aid in Hawaii
Hawaii residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship, as well as the TEACH Grant, which gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need school.
Learn more about how to finance your Master's degree on Teach.com.
Information last updated: May 2020