Testimony in Support of HB1825 / SB2616 and HB1840 / SB2125
Submitted by: The Teacher Lounge Team
Position: Support
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in support of HB1825 / SB2616 and HB1840 / SB2125.
Our organization works closely with schools and educators across Hawaiʻi, including J-1 teachers who are actively serving in classrooms while working toward full licensure. These educators play a critical role in maintaining instructional continuity, particularly in rural, neighbor island, and high-need schools where staffing challenges are most acute.
These teachers are fully committed to Hawaiʻi’s students and are making documented progress toward licensure. However, the current licensure and permit timelines often do not reflect the practical barriers educators face. Required licensure exams involve multiple components that take significant time to prepare for, schedule, and complete successfully. The cumulative cost of exams and preparation materials can exceed $1,000, creating a substantial financial burden.
Access challenges further complicate the process. On neighbor islands, limited in-person testing capacity can result in long delays that are outside a teacher’s control. Virtual testing options are often not viable due to testing restrictions, technology limitations, or living situations that do not meet strict testing environment requirements.
When permit limits are rigidly applied without accounting for these realities, effective teachers may be forced to leave classrooms despite making steady progress toward licensure. This disrupts student learning, strains school communities, and can discourage educators from continuing to serve in Hawaiʻi.
While the J-1 teacher program allows educators to serve for up to five years, in practice the combined effects of licensure timelines, testing access, and permit limitations often reduce effective classroom service to no more than three years. This shortened window limits schools’ ability to retain experienced teachers and undermines the stability that students and school communities need, as well as limits the cultural exchange and soft diplomacy impact of the J-1 teacher exchange program.
Students benefit most from stability—when teachers are able to remain in their classrooms long enough to build relationships, strengthen instructional practice, and support school culture. Policies that allow reasonable flexibility while maintaining licensure standards help ensure that schools can retain qualified, committed educators while safeguarding educational quality.
For these reasons, we respectfully urge your support of HB1825 / SB2616 and HB1840 / SB2125. Mahalo for your consideration and for your continued commitment to Hawaiʻi’s students and schools.
Respectfully submitted,
The Teacher Lounge Team
