Find answers to our commonly asked questions about applying to teach in the Department. Please select the category that best fits your situation.
Applicants should update their Master Profile within the NeoEd System. Once employed, please inform your school's SASA (School Administrative Services Assistant) who will give you the appropriate form to send to the Certificated Records and Transaction Unit.
To access our current salary schedule for all newly hired employees, please visit our Working in Hawaii page.
As a non-United States citizen, you must ensure that you are authorized to work in the United States in order to be employed with us. We are not able to sponsor visas or other types of employment authorization at this time. Authorization may be obtained with the assistance of an attorney in collaboration with the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration (formerly "Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)") and the Department of Labor.
Please send your application, evaluation, official transcripts, and other required documents to:
State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Talent Management
Teacher Recruitment Unit
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804
For further clarification, you may call 808-441-8444.
We determine the area in which you can teach by determining the subject area of your completed degree(s). You may also indicate the areas in which you are able and willing to teach in the “Job Preferences” section of the application.
Please note that the designation "state approved" does not mean that the program must be approved in Hawaii. A state approved program is one that has been approved to lead to licensure in the state of the program.
If you do not meet the above qualifications, you do not qualify as a certified teacher, school counselor or school librarian. However, if you possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree, you may apply for a teaching position, in your field of study.
Please keep in mind that your application will be considered for a position only after all qualified applicants have been placed. Please be aware that in order for you to obtain your Hawaii teaching license, you must complete meet the requirements of a State Approved Teacher Education Program. Presently, these requirements must be completed within the first three school years of your employment in order to continue to teach. However, this may change in the future. You will need to show that you are actively pursuing a license within each year of employment. In addition, you will need to obtain an Emergency Hire Special Permit within each year of employment until you are issued a Hawaii teaching license by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. Lastly, there is no guarantee for reemployment.
Anyone who was previously employed and subsequently separated from the Department must submit a new application, complete the structured/state-level interview (if applicable), and submit supporting documents, as applicable, for employment consideration.
Hawaii State Law dictates that no teacher in a Hawaii public or charter school shall serve as a teacher without first having obtained a license or permit. To obtain your Hawaii license or permit, please visit the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. The options commonly used for licensure are the following: The Standard License is available for teachers that have completed a state approved teacher education program (or hold an active, valid license from another state) AND have at least 3 out of the last 5 years of full-time teaching experience in Hawaii or another state; OR The Provisional License is available for teachers that have completed a state approved teacher education program (or hold an active, valid license from another state) and do not yet have at least 3 out of the last 5 years of full-time teaching experience in Hawaii or another state; OR The Emergency Hire Permit makes you eligible for employment and you can hold an Emergency Hire Permit for three years of employment, as you work towards obtaining a license. You will need a copy of your official transcript verifying completion of a bachelor's degree. You may apply for a teaching, counselor or librarian position with the Hawaii State Department of Education prior to obtaining your Hawaii license; however, before starting in your new position, you must have a Hawaii license or permit. Should you obtain your no-cost Hawaii license from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) after you've applied with the Hawaii Department of Education, you may email it to the Hawaii Department of Education at teacher.recruitment@k12.hi.us
Hiring continues beyond the start of the school year into the second semester of the school year. We accept applications for all subject areas year-round.
We do not post our vacancies for teaching positions — applicants are applying to be part of a teacher applicant pool. Typically, our high needs/shortage areas include Special Education (including Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing), Secondary Math, Secondary Science, and Secondary English. We also typically have needs in neighbor island and rural communities.
The Teacher Recruitment Unit handles the recruitment of teachers, school counselors and school librarians. The same application is used for all three positions. Teachers, school counselors and school librarians belong
to the same union and therefore the-licensing requirements as well as salaries are identical. For the recruitment of other types of positions (Substitute Teachers, Educational Assistants, Principals, etc.), please visit our Job Opportunities page.
If you already have already been entered into the applicant pool, your application will be kept on file for two (2) years from the date you were entered. If you are not hired within that time period, your application will be inactivated and you will need to reapply. In addition, if we receive five (5) reports of non-interest in positions for which you were referred, your application will be inactivated. You will be able to reapply after a period of ninety (90) days. Reasons that constitute non-interest include but are not limited to: declining a job offer or interview, not responding to correspondence (phone, letter, email) to schedule an interview, failure to report for a scheduled interview, or any other indication of lack of interest.
If you have completed a state approved teacher (or specialist) education program (SATEP), your application will be reviewed. Once successfully reviewed by the Teacher Recruitment Unit, your information will be entered into the statewide applicant pool for employment consideration and referral. A letter will be sent to your mailing address on file notifying you of when you were entered into the applicant pool.
If you have not completed a SATEP, you will need to successfully complete an intake interview with an authorized Department representative. Please note that interviews are scheduled and applications are processed in the following order:
Priority #1 – Applicant possess a valid Hawaii teaching license;
Priority #2 – Applicant has completed a SATEP;
Priority #3 – Applicant is currently enrolled in a SATEP.
Due to the Department's goal of filling each classroom with a Hawaii licensed teacher, the Teacher Recruitment Unit will contact individuals at the Priority #3 level if and when it is scheduling interviews and processing applications within those priority levels.
Upon successfully submitting your application and supporting documents, your name will be entered into the Department’s teacher applicant pool. The Personnel Regional Office (District Office) refers a list of eligible applicants to each vacancy for employment consideration and selection. The school principal and/or designated representative(s) will utilize this list to contact eligible applicants they would like to interview for the vacancy at their school.
No, you cannot apply for a position by submitting just your resume. You may include your resume with your application and supporting documents. However, an application is still necessary to apply for a position.
All of Hawaii’s public schools fall under the administration of one school system, with the exception of Hawaii’s charter schools. Within the state system, there are seven school districts. A single application enters the applicant into the recruitment pool from which lists of eligible candidates are established for vacancies in all seven districts. Effective March 13, 2012, the recruitment/geographical location preferences on the application changed from allowing an applicant to indicate specified areas within a district or district complexes to now only being able to indicate island preferences. This was done in an effort to ensure all schools have equal access to highly qualified teachers. Therefore, we ask that all applicants to be open to working throughout the State of Hawaii. The Hawaii Department of Education will try to honor your indicated location preference(s) to the best of its ability; however, please be advised you may be referred to areas which you did not indicate if the need for someone with your qualifications arises. To begin the application process, please submit an application. You may apply online on our eHR website. If you prefer a paper copy of the application, you may stop by the Teacher Recruitment office to pick one up or send a 9” x 12” self-addressed stamped (3 stamps) envelope to: State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Talent Management
Teacher Recruitment Unit
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804
There may be several factors: It is possible that there are no vacancies in your subject area, grade level preference or recruitment location preference Your file may not be in order, so please contact the Teacher Recruitment Unit. Your file may be missing documents like transcripts, and/or licenses, etc. Please keep in mind that hiring continues after the start of the school year and continues into the second semester of the school year.
When applying for the beginning of a new school year, you may not hear from a school until the end of June prior to the start of the school year. This is because the Transfer and Assignment program for tenured-teachers ends in May. If vacancies still exist, probationary teachers, followed by Hawaii licensed teachers, then followed by teachers that have completed a state approved teacher education program are considered for those vacancies. If you are applying for the current school year, you may hear from a school at anytime from the time you are entered into the applicant pool through to the ending of February. Referral priority is given to those who are Hawaii licensed or National Board Certified, those who have completed a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP), and then those who have not completed a SATEP. In addition, within those categories, preference is given to local residents.
You will receive an email confirmation that your online application was submitted. The message will explain the next step in the application process. After your application is formally reviewed (generally after your structured/state-level interview is complete), if applicable, you will receive a letter indicating any items that are outstanding from your applicant file. The letter will also include the direct phone number for the staff member who worked on your file.
Please contact the Teacher Recruitment Unit in writing by sending an e-mail to Teacher.Recruitment@k12.hi.us, or a correspondence to the address below. State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Talent Management
Teacher Recruitment Unit
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804 Failure to notify us of changes in address and/or telephone number will result in the inactivation of your application.
Please send all required documents to the Teacher Recruitment Unit by email at Teacher.Recruitment@k12.hi.us or by mail at:
State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Talent Management
Teacher Recruitment Unit
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804
When funding is available, we send recruiters to various locations across the continental U.S. on out-of-state recruitment trips. For information on our next trip, please visit http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/Employment/JobOpportunities/Pages/Out-of-state-recruitment.aspx
If you have completed a state approved teacher (or specialist) education program (SATEP), your application will be reviewed. Once successfully reviewed by the Teacher Recruitment Unit, your information will be entered into the statewide applicant pool for employment consideration and referral. A letter will be sent to your mailing address on file notifying you of when you were entered into the applicant pool.
If you have not completed a SATEP, you will need to successfully complete an intake interview with an authorized Department representative. Please note that interviews are scheduled and applications are processed in the following order:
Priority #1 – Applicant possess a valid Hawaii teaching license;
Priority #2 – Applicant has completed a SATEP;
Priority #3 – Applicant is currently enrolled in a SATEP.
Due to the Department's goal of filling each classroom with a Hawaii licensed teacher, the Teacher Recruitment Unit will contact individuals at the Priority #3 level if and when it is scheduling interviews and processing applications within those priority levels.
Upon successfully submitting your application and supporting documents, your name will be entered into the Department’s teacher applicant pool. The Personnel Regional Office (District Office) refers a list of eligible applicants to each vacancy for employment consideration and selection. The school principal and/or designated representative(s) will utilize this list to contact eligible applicants they would like to interview for the vacancy at their school.
Please be advised, effective March 13, 2012, the Teacher Recruitment Unit will inactivate applications due to five (5) reports of non-interest in positions for which you are referred. You will be able to reapply after a period of ninety (90) days. Reasons that constitute non-interest include but are not limited to: declining a job offer or interview, not responding to correspondence (phone, letter, e-mail) to schedule an interview, failure to report for a scheduled interview, or any other indication of lack of interest.
If you received any correspondence indicating a direct phone number and specific staff member to contact, this would be the best way to make contact.
State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Talent Management
Teacher Recruitment Unit P.O. Box 2360 Honolulu, HI 96804
Limited 2-hour parking is available in the rear of the Dole Cannery Office building. Visitors may park in the first two designated rows only. All other parking is designated for COSTCO Wholesale patrons.
Additional validated parking is located above the Dole Cannery Theaters.
For those commuting by bus, check out bus routes and schedules at: www.thebus.org.
Our office is located in the Castle & Cooke Building. We are located on the 3rd floor in Suite 300.
From the parking lot at the rear of the Dole Office Building: Walk through the building towards Iwilei Road. An elevator is located at the far right corner of the building (facing Iwilei Road). Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Our office is Suite 300. From the parking structure above the theaters: In the parking structure, take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Follow the walkway that will cross over Iwilei Road and turn left at the end of the bridge. Stay to your left and follow the walkway until you come to a foyer area with a single, gold elevator. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Our office is Suite 300.