Become a Teacher in Hawaii

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.

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. 

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.