State teacher shortage called 'biggest in years'
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
Education officials yesterday said the public schoolteacher shortage is much worse than expected, and they are looking high and low for qualified applicants.
Calling it "probably the biggest shortage in recent years," state schools superintendent Paul LeMahieu said the number of vacant state teacher positions for this school year could be high as 437. Last year, that number was 164. The state employs about 13,000 teachers.
"About half of that number (of vacancies) is in the special education area, and most of the vacancies are on the Leeward Coast and the Neighbor Islands," LeMahieu said at a press conference yesterday.
The number is higher than that predicted by Hawai'i State Teachers Association union officials last week, who told The Advertiser they estimated the public school system was short about 300 teachers, leaving substitutes and part-timers to fill the classrooms.
The Department of Education is trying to meet the growing expectation for a qualified teacher in every classroom to help the schools move forward. And there is the added pressure from the federal courts that have threatened to take over the special education system if the department does not increase the number of licensed special-education teachers from 77 percent to 85 percent by November.
In reaction to yesterday's news, Hawai'i State Teachers Association president Karen Ginoza blamed the contract dispute between the state and teachers union for the high number of vacancies.
Gov. Ben Cayetano and the teachers union are in disagreement over whether the contract's 3 percent bonus for teachers with advanced and professional degrees was meant to be paid for one or two years.
The lack of signatures on the contract has delayed salary increases and the distribution of a $1,110 retention bonus. The union has filed a complaint with the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board and is awaiting a hearing on the matter.
Ginoza said she was surprised to hear the higher-than-expected number of vacant teacher positions, but said some Mainland teachers recruited to teach here have headed back because of the contract impasse. Ginoza said about 100 teachers are expected to retire because of the dispute.
"There were teachers who came here expecting to make more, and have left because the contract has not been implemented," she said. "And we have some veteran teachers who had planned to stay on, but are now saying, 'I'm out.' "
LeMahieu would not say whether the teacher shortage was linked to the contract dispute, but said the number of teachers retiring or resigning this year "is slightly higher than in years past."
To help fill classrooms, LeMahieu said his department is looking for people who have a bachelor's degree, but not necessarily a teaching background or training.
"I think there's a misconception that those with a bachelor's degree, but not in education, cannot qualify to become a teacher," LeMahieu said. "That is not true, and that's why we're turning to the public to look for those interested in becoming teachers."
State law requires that a public schoolteacher earn a teacher's certificate within two years, but LeMahieu said there are programs that can "fast-track" the teaching license process from a year to 18 months to help deal with the shortage.
One such teacher is Randy Moore, who resigned as president and CEO of Kane'ohe Ranch to teach at Central Middle School in downtown Honolulu.
"I really wanted to help out in the public sector before I officially retire," said Moore, who is earning his teaching certificate at Chaminade University.
"But the teachers who have been doing this for 10, 20, 30 years are the real heroes. It's easy for me to parachute in."
LeMahieu said the state has 1,400 to 1,500 vacancies each year. Under the old contract, teachers earned from $29,000 to $58,000 a year depending on qualifications and experience.
Those at yesterday's press conference cited other reasons for the teacher shortage.
• Hawai'i universities are producing about 700 qualified teachers each year, far less than the number of annual vacancies.
• A state study showed that only one in five Mainland-recruited teachers are still teaching in Hawai'i after three years.
U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, D-Hawai'i, one of several officials heading yesterday's press conference, said moving Mainland teachers here is not as simple as loading a U-Haul truck.
"We're going to have to look at whether we can do more in teacher relocation bonuses and incentives, as well as getting more teachers to teach on the Neighbor Islands."
