09-06-2013, 03:10 AM
I am in a Masters in Teaching program @ USC that has an explicit focus on high-needs schools and teaching in diverse environments. I tell ya, it's been more than a little eye-opening. So glad I ended up doing this particular program since my spouse and I plan on returning to the island (been booted off twice now = need more stable financial situation and more permanent living quarters to make it stick. We are determined).
Some thoughts:
-Supportive administration is KEY. If you have a crappy principal who meddles or is uninvested, a teacher might feel like their hands are tied.
-Major culture shock! The key to staying happy in Hawaii, as many of us know, is to try not to change the way things are but instead to adapt. This is a major sticking point for so many that are in the dominant class of power (white, middle-to-upper-class) - no matter if you have the best of intentions, white privilege is inherently real, and the vast majority of non-Hawaii-resident teachers are white...to have that turned on its head makes people feel like their world has been turned upside down. Experiencing being a minority perhaps for the first time, and seeing that you are all of a sudden not in the culture of power so much anymore = culture shock. Does not matter how much you "embrace diversity", examining one's own privilege is a really tough and painful task. Nowhere was I more aware of my previous/current privilege than in the islands.
-Lack of training for high-needs schools. I think there are plenty of competent grads & new teachers that ca and will succeed, but I don't think enough universities pay attention to the tools teachers will need in a high-needs environment. It is a different world.
-Cost of living. A teacher with an approved Masters can make $47K entry level in Hawaii, but about $10K less if only with a Bachelors. In my previous island stint, I made $32K as an admin for a successful local organization, and it still was not enough to get by. Granted, we were paying for our DIY wedding that year that was worth every penny of fun that we spent, but I would have had a hard time saving and paying bills in order to get to a place to buy a modest home or a piece of land, let alone my student loans.
-Loneliness. Moving to Waianae or Ka'u as a young professional is like going to Mars. I felt so lonely living alone down in HOVR. Hawaii is so family-oriented, if you have keiki you will find friends much more quickly, it seems like. I can't wait to raise children there. Much, much tougher if you don't have a decent circle of friends or even colleagues.
Some thoughts:
-Supportive administration is KEY. If you have a crappy principal who meddles or is uninvested, a teacher might feel like their hands are tied.
-Major culture shock! The key to staying happy in Hawaii, as many of us know, is to try not to change the way things are but instead to adapt. This is a major sticking point for so many that are in the dominant class of power (white, middle-to-upper-class) - no matter if you have the best of intentions, white privilege is inherently real, and the vast majority of non-Hawaii-resident teachers are white...to have that turned on its head makes people feel like their world has been turned upside down. Experiencing being a minority perhaps for the first time, and seeing that you are all of a sudden not in the culture of power so much anymore = culture shock. Does not matter how much you "embrace diversity", examining one's own privilege is a really tough and painful task. Nowhere was I more aware of my previous/current privilege than in the islands.
-Lack of training for high-needs schools. I think there are plenty of competent grads & new teachers that ca and will succeed, but I don't think enough universities pay attention to the tools teachers will need in a high-needs environment. It is a different world.
-Cost of living. A teacher with an approved Masters can make $47K entry level in Hawaii, but about $10K less if only with a Bachelors. In my previous island stint, I made $32K as an admin for a successful local organization, and it still was not enough to get by. Granted, we were paying for our DIY wedding that year that was worth every penny of fun that we spent, but I would have had a hard time saving and paying bills in order to get to a place to buy a modest home or a piece of land, let alone my student loans.
-Loneliness. Moving to Waianae or Ka'u as a young professional is like going to Mars. I felt so lonely living alone down in HOVR. Hawaii is so family-oriented, if you have keiki you will find friends much more quickly, it seems like. I can't wait to raise children there. Much, much tougher if you don't have a decent circle of friends or even colleagues.
