Getting a Teaching Job in Hawaii
question
I’m considering moving to Hawaii to teach. Do you know what areas have a high need for teachers? Do you know of any particularly good districts? Ones to avoid? Or, do you know of any online resources with this kind of information? Thanks for any help you can offer.
answer
Well, I’m actually supremely unqualified to answer this question. I really know nothing about teaching in Hawaii, as I didn’t grow up here and my son is currently homeschooled. I will look around though and see what I can find. As for good districts and ones to avoid – I’m not sure what the qualifiers would be. There are what I would consider ‘more dangerous’ districts to jump right into – knowing nothing about them and the people who live there, in general in Hawaii, especially for a ‘fresh off the boat’ haole (white person) (if that’s what you are). One is Pahoa on the Big Island and another is Waianae on Oahu.
According to the Hawaii Department of Education teachers are most in need on the neighbor islands and outside of Honolulu on Oahu. The DOE also apparently does consistent recruiting to the mainland to try to bring teachers here. So it would seem that this would be your first line of attack – contact the DOE and see what they can do for you.
Your e-mail addy seems to indicate you currently work at a christian school. You can find a pretty good listing of Hawaii Christian Schools here. I have friends who go to Christian Liberty in Keaau. It’s a growing school and they like it.
Just as a side note, I have a good friend who moved here about two years ago because her husband was going to teach here. I know nothing about his skills as a teacher but I do know that he was a very kind and smart man. They moved back to the mainland a couple of months ago because he was unable to keep a teaching job, according to him. She said he had a job in the public school system and was pushed out of it because of some sort of discrimination. I have never experienced this discrimination myself, and neither has my husband when it comes to jobs here in Hilo, but I have heard a lot of people talk about it, especially recently. My husband and I moved here in 1995 and I don’t think the issues were as strong then, but recently mainlanders have been moving here in droves and driving up the cost of housing and sometimes making locals angry. Just something to be aware of. People moving here are not always welcomed with open arms by everyone.
If you moved near me, I’d welcome you, or anyone though! 
Comments
One Comment on Getting a Teaching Job in Hawaii
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Darcey on
Tue, 10th Mar 2009 3:15 pm
You could check the DOD schools (for the military bases). I know they hire USA citizens to teach. Sometimes housing is included in your pay.
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