Teacher shortage focal point of Hawaiʻi Education Association summit, Jan. 8

Ending Hawaiʻi’s teacher shortage will be addressed by the Hawaiʻi Education Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the teaching profession and building a pipeline of teachers for the next generation, during its annual summit next month.

The association will convene from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at the YWCA, Elizabeth Fuller Hall, 1040 Richards St., in downtown Honolulu. The summit is titled, “Building the Future of Education in Hawaiʻi: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Teachers, Empowering Today’s Educators.”

Association President Joan Lewis said ending the teaching shortage must continue to be a kakou effort, with various members of the community striving to work together to find solutions.

Panel discussions will focus on collaboration to support a pipeline of teachers include representatives from the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaiʻi Teacher Standard Board, Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association, Hawaiʻi P-20, Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools and the University of Hawaiʻi system campuses.

“At our summit this year, we will focus attention and support on high school students being recruited to become teachers. This aligns with the goals of the US Departments of Labor and Education to strengthen the homegrown pipeline for the teaching profession,” Lewis said. “We’re glad to be able to continue our support of teachers and students.”

Hawaiʻi is not alone in these challenges. Many other states across the nation also have a shortage of licensed teachers. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, there is a shortage of up to 52,800 vacant full-time teaching positions in the United States. Hawaiʻi ranks as one of the 10 states with the lowest teacher-to-state population ratio.

In addition to the local panels, the association has invited national board certified teacher Carla Warren, Ed.D., senior partner with National Center for Grow Your Own, who will share national trends with teacher cultivation and lessons for Hawaiʻi. She previously served as the Officer for the Division of Academic Support & Educator Development with the West Virginia Department of Education, leading multiple instructional and educator workforce initiatives.

Warren developed West Virginia’s Teacher Leader Framework to assist county school systems with codifying their teacher leadership practices. She has also been instrumental in designing and implementing the West Virginia Grow Your Own Teacher Pathway and securing Department of Labor funds to develop a teacher pre-apprenticeship program, the first in the country.

Following Warren’s lead, multiple state government agencies, including the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Education, and the Hawaiʻi Teachers Standard Board, are collaborating to establish an apprenticeship program in Hawaiʻi with a grant from the US Department of Labor.

In the meantime, the association is supporting 12 teachers from eight local high schools that are participating in Project Equal Access and piloting Educators Rising, a nationally recognized curriculum for high school students who are aspiring educators. The high schools include Farrington, James Campbell, Kauai, Maui, Mililani, Pearl City, Waiakea and Waipahu.

“We’re glad to be supporting the teachers involved in this pilot project by underwriting the cost of airfare for neighbor island teachers to meet together,” Lewis said. “This further supports the teaching profession by augmenting Career and Technical Education classes in the schools for those interested in pursuing teaching; Teaching As A Career clubs in the schools; and Education Academies that prepare public school students for careers in education.

Founded in 1921, the Hawaiʻi Education Association is a nonprofit that strives to improve education in Hawaiʻi. The association brings together educators from public, private and charter schools, professors and supporters to spark improvements in education for all educators and students statewide.