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E Komo Mai (Welcome)


"Teaching in Hawaii" is a blog/website that will assist you in making an informed decision prior consideration of becoming a teacher in the State of Hawaii. The site welcomes comments from teachers past and present sharing first hand experiences teaching in the Hawaii public school system. Read the comments below.

Send e-mail to: teachinginhawaii@hotmail.com
Please do not send resumes.

13 comments:

  1. I'm so glad that I found this site from craiglist. I am a New York State licensed art teacher and am very interested in teaching in Hawaii. I would like to hear more information about this opportunity. You can always contact me at diannejuhn@gmail.com
    I have a lot of quesstions about how the actual process of being hired in Hawaii, and am looking forward to everyone who would help me on that subject.
    sincerely,
    Dianne Juhn

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  2. thank you for the reply very much. yes i figured that it would be quite expensive when one lives in Hawaii- my dad actually lived in Honolulu for one year and came back home. i visited him several times there with my mom and saw how he rented a small apartment room. and yes the cost of the food and the room are as expensive as New York! so i really was surprised. but i really love Hawaii so much.
    i'm also surprised that there is a few administrative support for teachers though. i guess that it just doesn't apply to all the schools, yet i believe that i have to embrace myself for new challenges.
    i have contacted the dept of education in Hawaii and sumbitted my application, but i saw that they do not recruit new teachers at this moment. so i'm just looking through craiglist and other job sites, but i'm not sure what they are thinking of teachers from the mainland. if you have any tips on job searching, please let me know. thank you very much. i do appreiciate your support.

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  3. To the art bug: Try teach for America they could probably get you a job in Hawaii.

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  4. Anonymous3:08 PM

    I am a special ed teacher here in hawaii and can not wait to get out! My school is especially big brother and I feel disrespected as a professional on a nearly daily basis. Things are different for teachers at other schools or in non sped positions, but if you are established in another state, I would highly recommend avoiding teaching in Hawaii!
    I cannot speak for the entire state, but DOE here is very into new programs from the mainland and schools can be very police like in implementing them (accelerated reader, achieve 3K, compass math, step up to writing, read 180, zoophonics, etc.). Even though the programs all have their merits and could be beneficial, I am not given any discretion about how they will be used in my class, a policy is just set out for me. They are also getting more into lock step curriculum that follows benchmark maps precisely. All of that would not be that bad to deal with, because the ideas at the roots of those things are pretty sound, but they are also pushing daily activities for the students to practice for HSA and even have a list of students who are the most likely to either make us or break us for AYP (called a "hot list").
    As for how you actually get a job here, you submit your app to the DOE and wait for an interview call. The jobs are not externally posted. You could interview for, be offered and accept a job at one school and a week later get a call for an interview at a different school you might have preferred. Sometimes you can change, but you don't want to pass up an offer because you have no clue what else is available. If you are having trouble finding a job it is because principals hide them for non tenured teachers. The whole system is pretty shady and seems not entirely legal.
    I am not exactly the most positive person to ask about this and would highly recommend you talk to other people about their experiences. Overall, unless you absolutely have to come here for some reason, I would avoid it.

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  5. As for getting hired in Hawaii, yes you can and should submit an application if you are serious about working here. Make sure when you send an application or any supporting documentation have it sent registered mail, or some way to trace your paperwork. All too often paperwork is "lost", or parts are separated from the whole.'
    Note: no one will inform you of your paperwork is not complete. You have to follow through.

    Be aware that the entire state is one school district. Teachers belong to a union. So think about how do you get into a union (job). . . issues like non-tenured teachers have the least chacge of getting hired. You can't even see what teaching jobs are available unless you already have been hire by the DOE. Go figure.

    Good luck.
    Wife of High School science teacher.

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  6. thank you for the advise. it is really important for me to gather information as much as possible before i actually go there. it is just that finding a teaching job in general is really really hard at anywhere and i'm a little depressed right now. shall i pursue for graduate school if nothing turns up? i mean, my field is art teacher but now i want to pursue in ESL or special education to broaden my options. i feel so trapped! i need some real-life advises from the teachers on how to land on a job as well as more information about hawaii.

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  7. Dr. to Educator < inHawaii >9:13 PM

    I left NY as a Doctor and moved to Hawaii recently. I am currently teaching science in a public school mainly b/c there is a crisis--a severe shortage of certified teachers here in Hawaii. People like me are covering the Math and Science positions, or Substitute teachers will be teaching the youth. And the public school system is severely in trouble.

    I am not a certified teacher, but I have to contribute. The No Child Left Behind appears to be in serious trouble. If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn't have taken on this responsibility. Hawaii needs Math and Science teachers, and the system is horrible. I can understand why there are no science/math teachers here.

    Bottom line: There are no consequences when a student misbehaves, and the system makes accelarated students learn in the same classrooms as children with "special needs". its ridiculous. the more advanced kids get bored of the slow pace of the class, and the "special needs" kids cannot keep up and misbehave, because they dont learn at the same pace as others. Classwork, homework, etc. cannot have deadlines, so if you want the homework the next day, the student knows he/she does not have to turn it in on time. They know if they hand in the assignment before the end of the term, then they receive the same grades as if they turned it in on time. What does this teach them: Lack of responsibility?

    I've had students fighting in class, and i sent them to the "office" to have the "office" send them right back to me because there is no more punishment at schools. no detention, no expulsion, etc. we've had students get arrested at school and show back up the next day without getting any time off.

    It is falling apart and it's almost too late, b/c the students learning in a public school system is wasting his/her time. it must be frustrating for the students,and ridiculous for them.

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  8. Anonymous9:15 PM

    In the public school system when I lived here 99-00 (recently moved back); there is a single state-wide school system. I think your experience will depend a lot on where you are teaching. My roommate taught in central Oahu; students didn't give a crap, parents didn't give a crap. One of her friends worked on the Big Island (my favorite island!) and she seemed to be having a real positive experience. It might be a good experience for you, but it could pose many challenges, too. I don't know what your race is, but that will also probably affect how things go for you. My roommate was haole (white), which worked a bit against her. Beneath the veneer of racial harmony, things can be fairly ugly here (no group has a majority); I'm haole, too, and a couple weeks ago had one of my neighbors, who has a droplet of Native Hawaiian blood tell me to "go back where you came from, haole." Also, my roommate had difficulty with some of the old, entrenched folks at her school; one Japanese counselor was a huge pain in her ass, never supporting her when she had a major problem, trouble-maker student. She was fresh out of college, so you might be able to be a bit more assertive. If I had a choice about what island, I'd pick the Big Island in a heartbeat. I'm back in Hawaii on Oahu [island where Honolulu is] and traffic is always a pain in the ass; it has gotten a lot worse since I lived here before. Housing is WAY expensive, too, on Oahu. But living in Hawaii can be really good experience.

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  9. Anonymous9:18 PM

    The whole stat of Hawaii has ONLY ONE school district; its not subdivided. The whole state's system is the same throughout the state. The state interprets No Child Left Behind as I stated in my last posting: No deadlines--because if a student eventually does the work, then it should be good enough--which is set by NCLB. And the whole state, Hi DOE, doesnt have any discipline rules because it goes against NCLB which has something to do with behavior has nothing to do with the eduacation of a child. And I believe behavior and discipline have lots to do with educating a child. Once again, Hawaii needs certified math and science teachers. In the school that I teach, I was the 3rd science teacher to take on the position in 2 quarters of a school year. The students had 3 science teachers before the midterm, because the teaching conditions are horrible and the other teachers quit. Also, the other science position at the school also had 3 science teachers for the year; which I guess is the norm for Hawaii. The classrooms are about 85 degrees because the state builds schools without air conditioners!! So 40 students are packed into a small space sweating all day long; the students get hot and miserable.

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  10. Anonymous7:28 PM

    I am thinking of moving there to teach. I am originally from NYC but am now in Japan. My wife and I want the slower pace of life in Hawaii, and are seriously considering setting up our base there. According to everything I have read, there seems to be serious issues with the Hawaii public school system. Nearly every post I read was riddled with negativity. Well NYC had its problems as well, so I think I can handle that. So my question is, does anyone have any positive comments regarding teaching in Hawaii? I am halfway finished a dual Masters in Education and Special Education. I have over 6 years experience teaching in NYC, two in Japan. Anything anyone can tell me?

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  11. Sorry for the late publishing of your comment. Inundated by spam and phishing scams as well being falsely shut down as a spam site, we're finally back. I'll post your comment and wish you the best of luck.

    As a former NYC teacher as well and current 17yr. veteran of the Hawaii Dept. of Ed, I assure you that the comments are authentic and accurate.

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  12. Anonymous1:07 PM

    What's it like teaching in Hawaii's public school's?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:16 PM


      Hell on earth.

      Ethnic groups at each other's throats, chaotic classrooms, social isolation.

      Your worst nightmare, 2,500 miles from anyone who cares about you.

      https://forums.craigslist.org/?ID=218553690

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