Changing Paradigms: A New Teacher Education Model for Rural Hawaii

Abstract

The Hawaii Department of Education anticipates a need for approximately 400 new special education teachers in each of the next three years. This critical need for special education teachers is compounded by an approximate 50% attrition rate every two-year period. Furthermore, individuals who are not certified special education teachers and are working under emergency credentials occupy over 50% of the special education teaching positions. Recently passed state legislation suggests that they may not be eligible for rehire. The Hawaii Department of Education, in an effort to address their shortage of public school teachers, a shortage particularly acute in rural areas, invited Gonzaga University to design a masters level preservice teacher preparation program to be delivered in on the Island of Oahu. The innovative special education teacher preparation program described in this article is based on Gonzaga University's campus based Masters of Initial Teaching program. Components of the modified initial certification program delivered in Hawaii are described, including adjustments to the fieldwork requirements. An overwhelming majority of the participants indicated a desire to continue teaching in the rural Wai'anae community on the island of Oahu.