Seeking Emergency Certification

Question: I heard something about a program through emergency teaching certificate in the state of Hawaii. They put you in the classroom, and they will help pay for your schooling for 2-3 years. I don’t know much about it, other than a buddy of mine had an option to do it. I was wondering if you had any idea about it and if you did, if you would fill me in about it. I would appreciate it very much.

Thanks for your time.
Brad Pollack

Answer: Hawaii does need teachers, but special programs for emergency teaching certification would be most likely to occur in areas of special education, where the need is most dire. The subject area that you’d like to teach would definitely influence the sort of assistance that you might receive in pursuing your certification. Areas where that assistance is most likely, in addition to special education, would be math, science (especially physics), bilingual education, and speech pathology. If you are looking to teach elementary education, English, or social sciences, it’s unlikely that you’d find emergency teaching programs.

Although I haven’t received notification of any specific programs this year, I can direct you to a few Web sites that might be useful. You can use the “contact us” option in each of these sites to ask your question, since each is a Hawaii-based education program site.

This is, perhaps, the best place to begin:
Hawaii Department of Education
Office of Personnel Services
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804

You can also contact the Department of Education Office of Human Resources.

Finally, the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board would be a good resource.

Good luck! I’ve known people who have moved to Hawaii to teach and they have loved it.

Dr. Dawn Scheffner Jones, Online Education & Health Advisor, Career Services, Northern Illinois University