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Work in Hawaii?

Apr 22, 2016#1

ThatNickGuy

So this popped up on my Facebook feed:

http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/unemployed-hawaii-wants-move-can-give-job/

Around 1600 teachers are retiring this year, and Hawaii is desperate for new teachers. Including English teachers.

I'm...kind of thinking of applying. But I'm not sure. I'm reading more on it, and talking to a friend of mine, and apparently the cost of living in Hawaii is so ridiculous that $54,000 is not an affordable wage there.

I don't know. What do you guys think?

Apr 22, 2016#2

Dave

Not an expert in Hawaii. If only we had someone here who was...

I do hear it's expensive, though. And learn to love spam. Like LOOOOOOOVE it.

Apr 22, 2016#3

Mathias

You like to surf, brah?

Apr 22, 2016#4

GasBandit

I have also heard the cost of living in Hawaii is mindblowing, but you know, we're really all sitting here waiting to hear what @WasabiPoptart has to say on the matter.

Apr 22, 2016#5

strawman

If you're single and don't mind living with roomates while working in the rural areas of Hawaii, then it seems doable. A lot of teachers come from the mainland, and leave after only a year or two because the pay is so low compared to the cost of living.

http://www.cpre.org/civil-beat-how-come-so-many-teachers-bail-hawaiis-public-schools

Honestly if they want more teachers, they really should recognize the cost of living and pay more. Instead they're going the other direction and reducing the requirements.

Apr 22, 2016#6

ThatNickGuy

Yeah, the more I look into this, the less likely this sounds.

Apr 22, 2016#7

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
I have also heard the cost of living in Hawaii is mindblowing, but you know, we're really all sitting here waiting to hear what @WasabiPoptart has to say on the matter.

Hang on, let me send up the Wasabi signal.

Apr 22, 2016#8

WasabiPoptart

Don't send up the signal while I'm sleeping! I haven't even had coffee yet and I have to answer questions. No, you don't have to eat spam or like it. Not everyone surfs. No we don't live in grass huts though they are talking about bringing them back for the homeless people. Yes, Hawaii is part of the United States and the people speak English (for the most part).

Cost of living here is very expensive. Housing...you would need to have roommates to afford rent. We have a three bedroom house that's barely 1000 sq.ft. and pay $2700 just for rent. Water, sewer, and electricity together are about another $300. Want to order a large pizza from your favorite chain? $25. Your local Mom & Pop place isn't any cheaper (for pizza that is; other local food can be less expensive). Our food bill is about 800-900 a month and that's using the military commissary which is generally cheaper than the regular grocery store. I don't feel like we buy anything unusual, but the cost of produce, meats, and milk is significantly higher than on the mainland. The costs also vary by island. Milk here on Oahu is about $5.50 per gallon. Last time we went to Maui it was $7 per gallon.

So yeah...they want to sell it as "your vacation vocation" but living here isn't vacation. There's a reason why the homeless rate per capita is the highest in the US.

Apr 22, 2016#9

WasabiPoptart

Another thing to think about is isolation. You would live and work on an island. They aren't that big. Travel, even inter-island, is not cheap. If you go stir crazy easily, if you don't like the small town mindset, if you aren't comfortable with being a "haole" and having people give you crap just because you are a white guy from the mainland (and by crap I mean start fights with you on purpose), if you aren't open-minded when it comes to culture... you might not want to do this.

Apr 22, 2016#10

WasabiPoptart

This is an apartment from Craigslist. It's in a building, not a stand alone house or part of a duplex. The area is where we lived while Aussie was in the Navy, so it's Honolulu suburb. You can find cheaper studios, but you are essentially living in a box (less than 500 sq ft).

$1350 / 1br - 550ft2 - 1 Bed 1 Bath 1 Covered Parking 5th Floor (Salt Lake)

Also this is from the Department of Education site for qualifications:

Teachers

Licensing
The Hawaii Teachers Standards Board maintains the licensing for teachers in the state, including standard, provisional, advanced and Career & Technical Education (CTE) special permit. It also manages emergency hire permits. Explore licensing options in this overview.
Highly Qualified Teacher designation
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that all teachers of core academic subjects meet federal requirements for designation as “Highly Qualified” (HQ). To meet Highly Qualified Teacher requirements in Hawaii, teachers must:

Have at least a Bachelor’s Degree; and

Hold a valid Hawaii teaching license (PK-3, K-6, K-12); and

Demonstrate subject matter competence by one of the following options:

Passed the Praxis II test for the content area assignment or

Earned 30 semester credits in the content area area assignment or

Earned National Board Certification in the content area assignment or

For teachers with one or more years of teaching experience earned 100 points through the HOUSSE rubric requirements; and

Be properly assigned at the grade levels for which the teacher is licensed.

Read our Frequently Asked Questions about HQ to learn more.

Apr 22, 2016#11

ThatNickGuy

Weird. The article says qualifications don't need to include a teaching degree. It said a secondary degree, which I have. But I didn't finish my teaching degree because I didn't finish the practicum. Welp, so much for that.

Apr 22, 2016#12

WasabiPoptart

In their FAQ it also gives the requirements and states if you do not meet them, then you will not be able to be employed as a teacher. A lot of these articles about teaching jobs in HI are popping up lately. The authors all make it sound like you come here and you'll be hired regardless of qualification. It's one of those kernel of truth things once you really look into it.

Oddly, it isn't even in the news here that they need teachers.

Apr 22, 2016#13

Mathias

ThatNickGuy said:
Weird. The article says qualifications don't need to include a teaching degree. It said a secondary degree, which I have. But I didn't finish my teaching degree because I didn't finish the practicum. Welp, so much for that.

Isn't that practicum the biggest load of bullshit ever!?? In PA they advertise the cert program as being doable while you're working as long as you have a bachelors degree. Couple years back, I had a significant discount since I worked for the university; had a 4.0 for all the course work and aced the Praxis I and II. I kept bringing up the fact that I would not be able to take 12 weeks off for unpaid student teaching, and they assured me that arrangements could be made. Bullshit. They just wanted to milk me for course money. Time comes to register for a high school to teach at, and I tell the admin that I cannot take a 12 week unpaid internship unless they can guarantee me a position lined up after I complete the program. She couldn't fathom why I couldn't take 12 weeks off to do this, and then apply for a teaching job. Bitch, this is for a high school Biology teaching job; not a heart surgeon residency. I won't make back the money I go into debt for on a teacher's salary IF I get a fucking job (which at the time were scarce due to the shitty economy). Pissed me off to no end. On top of that, she had the nerve to tell me to apply for emergency certification at a school in Pittsburgh. Yeah, ok. I'm going to move my family to Pittsburgh for a 20k a year temp job.

And people fucking wonder why there are so few teachers? Because of all this bureaucratic bullshit for next to no pay. The biggest bullshit is the student teaching requirement for certification.

Apr 22, 2016#14

WasabiPoptart

Info about moving to Hawaii. Toward the middle of the page it talks about housing costs and income.

Apr 22, 2016#15

sixpackshaker

If school in Hawaii is anything like back when I taught, you can eat two meals a day there at a reduced rate. Then for your dinner and weekends you can eat rice and beans. Then if you get bored of that eat beans and rice.

You will have to share a room. i.e. have 3 roommates in a 2 bedroom apt.

Have enough medicine to cover you until your insurance kicks in, a one or two month supply.

Know it will be a struggle. American schools are a little rougher than Canadian ones.

But you will be on your own, and living in paradise.

Apr 22, 2016#16