Hawaiʻi’s public schools have improved teacher retention and reduced vacancy rates since the Covid-19 pandemic, but are relying heavily on emergency hires.

The Department of Education is hiring fewer teachers and seeing an uptick in unlicensed educators in its schools, according to a recent employment report for the 2024-25 academic year.

Last year, roughly 48% of newly hired Hawaiʻi educators did not have a teacher’s license, a 20% increase from the 2020-21 academic year. The numbers include those who have completed an educator preparation program but have not yet earned a state teaching license.

The number of unlicensed educators, also known as emergency hires, has steadily increased since the pandemic, partly due to the recent increase in pay for these workers. The state also has p

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