14 new teachers from Philippines arrive, settle in for 2024-25 school year

LIHU‘E — According to the state Department of Education school calendar, teachers were reporting to their schools as early as July 30 to prepare for the return of students from summer break on Aug. 5.

Fourteen new teachers from the Philippines will be among their colleagues in reporting on the first day after arriving on Kaua‘i as early as July when four of the teachers joined Kaua‘i High School instructor Leah Aiwohi for a Pacific Biodiesel agricultural tour to view the peak sunflower bloom.

Randall Francisco said this is the third year Kaua‘i is hosting teachers, who have been trained in the Philippines. Francisco spearheaded a get-together with the new teachers, who are designated as J-1 hires because of their Visa requirements, with Kaua‘i Complex Area principals, school staff and members of the community.

Francisco said during the first year, there was a single teacher to pioneer the experience of coming to Kaua‘i from the Philippines to teach.

During the second year, the number of teachers jumped to 10 with placements at schools like Waimea High School, Waimea Canyon Middle School, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School and Kaua‘i High School. Most of the teachers hold advanced degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and will be teaching in those fields of study, as well as related fields like environmental science in the middle and high schools.

This year’s group of 14 teachers will mean an expansion in the schools, and the addition of Kapa‘a Elementary School adding two teachers.

He said the teachers are brought here on multi-year contracts that can be extended up to five years. However, they need to reapply at the end of each school year.

The get-together that received support from the community like Aloun Farms, which ensured there was watermelon for everyone. Individual families served to introduce the new arrivals to their respective school leaders, host families and others in the community, as they planted their roots in the new teaching environment.