The rate at which teacher turnover is taking place in Hawai'i is a concern for many administrators and staff members in K-12 schools because of the negative impact it is having throughout the schools. Hawai'i ranks first in the country for teacher turnover rate. According to the Learning Policy Institute, 4.9% of teachers in Hawai'i are uncertified, which is nearly double the national average (2.6%). In the 2018-2019 school year, Hawai'i experienced 1,029 vacant teaching positions out of approx. 13,000. It is estimated that more than 60,000 students are taught by an under-qualified teacher every year in Hawai'i (Walker, 2020). The Hawai'i Teacher Induction Program has been implemented with the intent to increase student achievement along with retaining beginning teachers by offering them instructional support. All beginning teachers, in the Hawai'i State Department of Education, are required to participate in a three-year induction program. Beginning teachers are provided with intensive mentorship for the first two years, and a third year of less intensive mentorship, along with an option to participate in professional learning communities and attend outings to help get acclimated and familiar with the Hawaiian culture. However, very little is known about how beginning teachers perceive the induction program or what components beginning teachers find most and least beneficial. Through this qualitative, exploratory, case study, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted to explore how beginning elementary school teachers experience and perceive the Hawaii Teacher Induction Program in the Laulima Complex. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants. Nine teachers, across four elementary schools throughout the Laulima Complex on Maui, were interviewed. Thematic analysis yielded the following findings: beginning teachers from the mainland experience feelings of isolation, teaching is more stressful than expected, the Educator Effectiveness System is challenging and overwhelming, mentoring was the only component experienced by all beginning teachers, availability of mentors differed from school to school, mentors provided professional and emotional support, the decision to stay in teaching was based more on individual factors rather than experiences with the Hawai'i Teacher Induction Program, and many beginning teachers felt mentoring was one factor to consider when making a decision to stay in education.
