HIDOE extends timeline to obtain English learner TESOL credits to SY2026–27

NOTE: The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education has issued more changes to the requirement since this story was originally posted. See the latest information here.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s (HIDOE) Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) sheltered instruction mandate has further pushed back its deadline by one year to the first working day of the 2026–27 school year, thanks to the hard work of teacher advocates.

Members of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s EL Joint Committee worked to extend the timelines for teachers to obtain their minimum of six Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Sheltered Instruction Qualification (SIQ) related course credits. Beginning in school year 2023-24, teachers will have three years to obtain their SIQ requirement.

The HIDOE issued a memo on Feb. 2, which supersedes a memo issued in March 2021 about the requirement. The new memo explains the extended timeline.

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HSTA EL Joint Committee members Tanya Mau, Pinky Grace Francisco, and Jill Tung-Loong (former member) have been championing extending the requirement’s deadline since 2019 when the mandate first began.

Members expressed concern over the ability to earn the credits during work time and not having the flexibility to take courses on their own personal time. Members also shared with the committee issues of equity for neighbor island educators and the lack of access to qualifying courses.

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the EL Joint Committee was able to move the employer to extend the original timeline from the 2022-23 school year to the 2025-2026 school year. As a result of even more advocacy from the committee, the deadline has been pushed back further to the 2026-27 school year.

Pinky Grace Francisco, who teaches at Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary on Hawaiʻi Island and is a member of the EL committee said, “As we foster student empowerment, we also need to prioritize teacher empowerment so we could serve the EL/ML students better in our capacity. So, I am one of those who are celebrating on the extended deadline for the SIQ requirement. This is definitely a big win!”

EL committee member and state resource teacher Tanya Mau believes more needs to be done.

“While we welcome the extended deadline for the SIQ requirement for teachers, the question remains ‘What does equity really mean for multilingual learners?’ Some teachers are still saying that even with high-quality PD learning opportunities, many EL teachers do not feel prepared to effectively support the students to meet the same standards as non-EL students. I continue to listen to concerns and engage in solutions-oriented conversations with teachers in order to advocate for collective efficacy.”

While the employer continues to confirm disciplinary action will not be taken for not meeting the deadline, members are encouraged to keep documentation of their efforts to meet the requirement, especially if you have issues related to equity of course availability, difficulties meeting requirements during work time, or other issues that may prevent you from meeting the deadline.

Accessing your status report, available courses

For additional information on teacher qualifications, including how to access your eHR for Hawaii Qualified status report and to access the SIQ Cover Sheet, refer to the Every Student Succeeds Act Hawaii Qualified Teacher Handbook.

Here are some new learning opportunities to be offered by the HIDOE:

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For additional information on credit and non-credit courses currently available, please contact your complex area EL leads or the EL State Office.

Teachers may also choose to complete the National Education Association English Language Learners Microcredentials pathway to obtain SIQ, which is free to HSTA members.

Teachers who have completed their SIQ requirement must submit their documentation to the Educator Quality Section for verification. Reimbursements are available for teachers who need SIQ and have taken pre-approved courses at their local IHE. Please refer to the January 31, 2023, Office of Student Support Services SIQ IHE Scholarship Program for more information.

Please direct any questions or clarifications to the following offices: