The teacher shortage in Â鶹´«Ã½ is disproportionately affecting students who live on the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu and in neighbor island areas where there are large numbers of students of Hawaiian, Filipino and Pacific Islander ancestry. This is just one finding in a first of its kind research brief, , released on Wednesday, February 26 by the (HSESJ).
HSESJ is a volunteer group of Â鶹´«Ã½-based researchers who conduct, review and disseminate research related to education and social justice in Â鶹´«Ã½. The research brief by six HSESJ scholars from the , and was based on 41 journal articles, three books, two dissertations and 35 other reports. The group used this research in education and other relevant fields to show how underfunding affects public education and how increased compensation for public school teachers can lead to more equitable education for all of Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s residents.
“We reviewed local, national and international research in creating, what we feel, is the most comprehensive look at the challenges facing K through 12 public education in Â鶹´«Ã½,” said Lois Yamauchi, one of the HSESJ researchers and a UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ professor in educational psychology. “The conclusions are clear, the only way we can achieve greater equity in public education is to provide greater support for local teacher recruitment, more financial assistance for teacher candidates in university-based training and stronger incentives that retain Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s public school teachers.”
The report has been endorsed by 120 scholars in Â鶹´«Ã½, including 94 from UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹. Other findings include:
- Â鶹´«Ã½ continues to have a large pool of interested teacher candidates, but many of the young people who initially pursue teacher education do not complete training or opt for a different profession altogether because of the financial barriers, including low teacher wages and Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s high cost of living.
- Hundreds of high school students want to be teachers and 1,200 college students are currently enrolled in teacher education, however, many financial barriers prevent them from graduating and taking a teaching job.
- The chronic underfunding of Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s public schools has contributed to taking multiple jobs and negatively affects the learning environment for many students.
- Each year, roughly 1,000 teachers leave their positions in Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s public schools. As schools must hire 10 percent of the teacher workforce annually, these positions are mostly filled with non-licensed or emergency hire teachers, or they are left vacant.
- Research indicates that having a well-prepared and experienced teacher is related to student engagement and learning.
With important legislative initiatives currently being considered, the research brief provides important information about the current educational context. For more information, contact Lois Yamauchi at yamauchi@hawaii.edu or (808) 956-4385.