Learn How to Become a Principal, Superintendent, or Other Administrator in Hawaii with a Doctorate or Master’s in Educational Leadership

If your kid brought home a report card that looked anything like Hawaii’s current educational situation, you’d be concerned.

Declining test scores, fewer high school graduates going on to college, and increasing levels of poverty are not good indicators. But there are some silver linings.

Though the last few years have been tough for Hawaii’s K-12 students it’s premature to draw any long term conclusions on the heels of a pandemic, and the $690.6 million education dollars the state received from federal recovery funds –money that must be spent by 2024– will undoubtedly go a long way.

Ultimate success or continued decline will be determined in large part through Hawaii’s administrative leadership, and if you’re up to the challenge then the students across the state could more than use your help.

The importance of quality educational leadership in Hawaii, the net value it adds, is thankfully already appreciated. Of all states Hawaii ranks fifth in the nation for having the highest concentration of jobs in K-12 education administration.

You can make leadership even more effective as you prepare for the role of principal and even superintendent with the right experience and education in a master’s or doctoral-level program like educational administration or educational leadership.

The Hawaiian word pu’a means to feed. It’s the responsibility of today’s leaders to feed the minds of the next generation of students graduating from high school and going on to be the future leaders of tomorrow.

How to Become a Principal in Hawaii – School-level Educational Leadership

As an experienced licensed teacher in Hawaii you’re already familiar with how the Hawaii Department of Education certifies principals through its Office of Talent Management in coordination with the Professional Development and Educational Research Institute (PDERI).

You reach the level of principal once you’ve earned PDERI’s Professional School Administrator Certificate (PSAC). But this is the top-level of school leadership; before you can qualify for PSAC certification you need to first gain experience as a vice principal which means earning an Initial School Administrator Certificate (ISAC).

Step 1. Consider a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership or Educational Administration

A relevant master’s degree is quickly becoming a baseline standard for leaders in education. It opens up career doors and demonstrates competence.

If you’re not a tenured teacher in Hawaii, then you’ll need a relevant master’s degree to be eligible to apply for a vice principal (ISAC) certification program.

If you’re making an out-of-state lateral application for a Hawaii principal license (PSAC) then you need a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration.

Regardless, as you work your way up through the ranks within the Hawaii Department of Education, a relevant graduate degree in educational leadership can give you an important advantage over your peer-level competition.

Step 2. Earn a Vice Principal Initial School Administrator Certificate (ISAC)

Eligibility for the ISAC certificate means having four years of full-time licensed public school K-12 teaching experience, along with satisfactory performance evaluations and recommendations.

On top of this you also need to complete the ISAC certification program through PDERI.

Make your ISAC application between April and August; this is the only window for application submissions annually, and you submit your application online with the Hawaii Certification Institute for School Leaders (HICISL). Through that link you’ll find these supporting documents that you must include with your application: