Last year nearly a third of vice principal positions in the state were either vacant or filled by educators who didn’t meet the certification requirements for the job.

When Bebi Davis became a science teacher at Farrington High School, she never imagined she’d be interested in running a school. She would stay on campus until midnight working with the school’s robotics team and took pride in mentoring students who hoped to attend college.

“Nobody could get me out,” Davis said. 

But after spending more than 15 years in the classroom, Davis was ready for a change. She entered the Hawaii Department of Education’s training program for aspiring administrators and became the vice principal at Kawananakoa Middle School in 2020. She’s now preparing to serve as principal of Kaiulani Elementary in the upcoming academic year. 

Not all teachers are willing to follow Davis’ lead and leave the classroom. Schools encourage experienced teachers and counselors to enter leadership roles, but not enough employees are willing to take on the training and time commitment required of vice principals. 

Last school year, approximately 30% of vice principal positions in Hawaii were unfilled or filled by individuals who didn’t have the certifications required for school administrators. In October, 32 vice principal positions were vacant, compared to only nine in 2019, according to the DOE. 

The same shortage hasn’t hit principals, with 99% of schools hiring qualified individuals last year. But while each school only needs one principal, larger campuses like Campbell or Waipahu High School tend to hire several vice principals to help oversee thousands of students. 

Vice principals transitioned from 10-month to year-round employees in Hawaii last fall, a change that principals are hopeful will encourage more people to join the ranks of school administrators. Principals have served as year-round employees in the state since 2004.  

But some school leaders say Hawaii won’t permanently solve its vice principal shortage until it grows its teacher workforce. Teachers make some of the strongest candidates for school leaders, and fewer qualified teachers result in a smaller pool of potential vice principals. 

“Right now, the supply is not meeting the demand,” said Kaneohe Elementary School Principal Derek Minakami. 

Too Few Candidates In The Pipeline

At Kawananakoa Middle School, Jade Pham excelled in her role as student services coordinator, receiving national recognition for her work supporting students and communities. But when Kawananakoa was short an administrator this spring, Pham stepped up as a temporarily assigned vice principal. 

Last year, over 20% of DOE vice principals were temporarily assigned to their positions, meaning that they lacked the certifications required for school administrators. When schools lack certified vice principals, they often turn to experienced staff members like Pham to fill the vacancies. 

“There was something new for me every day to learn,” Pham said, adding that she enjoyed working with students to address and improve their behavior in her new role. 

Hawaii’s vice principal shortage may be more severe than the numbers suggest, Minakami said. Some schools are unable to fill their vice principal roles even through temporary assignments, so they stop hiring for the position altogether. 

“The need is still there, but it doesn’t look like it because there’s no longer a vacancy being posted,” Minakami said.  

Kelcy Koga, principal at Waiakea High School, said Hawaii’s rigorous training requirements for vice principals may deter some candidates. According to the Education Commission of the States, Hawaii is one of only eight states that require vice principals to earn a certification in school leadership. 

The Hawaii Certification Institute for School Leaders provides a direct pathway for vice principal certification, but the process is lengthy and time-consuming. In addition to working in schools as intern vice principals for a year, participants must also complete summer training and a series of college-level courses on school administration. 

“It is a sacrifice up front, but it’s definitely a good sacrifice that will benefit them in the long run,” said Koga, who participated in the program in 2002. 

In the past, completing HICISL could also be costly for participants, said Christopher Lucas, an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii Manoa. The seven graduate-level courses required through HICISL could cost approximately $2,500 each, he said, although UH offered some financial support to students. 

At a Board of Education meeting earlier this year, DOE Assistant Superintendent Sean Bacon said the department plans on increasing financial aid for HICISL participants, providing a reimbursement of approximately $1,900 per required college course. Lucas said he hopes the increased assistance will draw more people to the program moving forward. 

Higher Salaries As A Short-Term Solution

At Waimea High School, principal Mahina Anguay is hopeful that shifting vice principals from 10 to 12-month employees will make the job more enticing to prospective applicants. Vice principals often work during the summer and should be properly compensated for their efforts, Anguay added.

But Koga isn’t sure how the change will affect the state’s recruitment efforts. Higher pay for vice principals is appealing, he said, but some teachers may be unwilling to become administrators if it means giving up their summer break. 

Under the new salary agreement for vice principals approved last fall, average pay rose from roughly $97,000 to $116,000. 

Anguay also thinks there’s more than pay that’s holding people back from becoming vice principals. School administration requires long hours and lifestyle changes, she said, and the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the intense pressure and stress leadership teams face on the job.

“Those were probably the hardest years of my career,” Anguay said. “It pushed me to my physical and emotional limits.”

At Kaneohe Elementary, Minakami said he’s feeling the impact of the state’s shortage of vice principals. He’s grateful that a teacher has served as a temporarily assigned vice principal for the past year, but he’s needed to take on more work without another certified administrator on staff. For example, he had to complete 19 teacher evaluations by himself last year. 

It’s possible for schools to operate with fewer vice principals than normal, he said, but it puts a greater strain on the existing leadership team. 

When it comes to solving the shortage, Anguay said, Hawaii ultimately needs more teachers. With fewer teachers in schools, principals have fewer opportunities to recruit qualified leaders. 

Not all teachers want to become principals, Anguay added, and schools also need good people to remain in the classroom. But, she said, Hawaii needs to build its pipeline of school leaders starting with the current generation of students. 

“I think people find their own way over time,” she said.

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.