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Elementary school teacher in Hawaii

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Hawaii has a looming teacher crisis.

HONOLULU (AP) - The Hawaii Department of Education has been seeking out educators from the mainland to deal with the state's growing teacher shortage.

Officials expect as many as 1,600 vacancies throughout the state next school year. The department has responded by sending teams to meet with potential applicants in major cities across the U.S., including Chicago, New York, Portland and Los Angeles, Hawaii News Now reported.

"Teachers are in such demand everywhere. Every school district is trying to steal from the other's district," said Barbara Krieg, assistant superintendent for the Office of Human Resources.

Even if the state can successfully recruit enough people, officials say retaining those teachers could present a challenge. Newly recruited teachers are often placed in rural schools, where there is more of a need, and have to face the state's high cost of living.

"Hawaii has one of the highest teacher turnover rates in the nation, and this is more so for people that come from the mainland," said Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. "They say, 'I can't live here' and they leave and we have to go back and recruit, and this cycle just continually happens."

But some recruits from the mainland have learned to thrive and say that teaching in Hawaii has its benefits. Brittney Driggs, a New Jersey native, was recruited right after college and has been teaching special education at Mililani High School in Honolulu for six years.

"My first year here, a lot of my fellow colleagues were like, 'Oh, you're going to be a one-year wonder,' " Driggs said. "I know the pay isn't as good as the mainland, but I think it's worth it."

The Department of Education is looking to fill vacancies in special education, secondary mathematics and secondary science. The state also needs more teachers in rural neighbor island areas and Oahu's Leeward Coast. Financial incentives are available for applicants.

The department has also been focusing its efforts on retaining current teachers and informing young people of education jobs in their communities.

"Over time, especially in areas where it's hard to find people who know the area or are willing to stay in the area, we really need to what we call grow our own teachers," Krieg said.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Hawaii has a looming teacher crisis. HONOLULU (AP) - The Hawaii Department of Education has been seeking out educators from the mainland to deal with the state's growing teacher shortage. Officials expect as many as 1,600 vacancies throughout the state next school year.

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I am a founding member of the Phi Phi chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon here at Towson University. Attached is a video of our Greek Sing Dance last semester.

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I was born and raised in Carroll County, Maryland and have recently moved to Montgomery County. Maryland has been a great place to find myself because of its variety of culture and environment.

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I speak English and a decent amount of spanish, I took 5 spanish classes in high school and found it very fulfilling

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Because English is a very popular language, American students tend to forget other languages may useful in their present and future life. People from Latin America, Asia, and Europe learn English as their second language at a very early age. They start studying it once they get into primary school. But why don't people, whose mother language is English, get taught another one-such as Chinese or Spanish-when they are young?

Studies show that a large amount out of the 335 million people who have English as their main language never even consider learning another one. They are certain there is no need to do so, because most of the people they meet-even foreigners-can speak English fluently. Even though it is true, English isn't the most common spoken language in the world. Chinese is, followed by Spanish and then English. But still people from all over the world take the time to learn English. Why don't those who speak English try to do the same?

High School and College Language Learning

Most high schools offer several years of foreign language-typically Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese. Sometimes these language classes are mandatory, other times they are electives-but you should take advantage of these courses.

Additionally, many colleges require a certain number of years of a foreign language before you can be admitted-or if you lack that, you'll be required to take several foreign language courses once you attend their school. At a college or university, even more languages will be offered-oftentimes taught by a native speaker-and you can even major or minor in one of them!

When it comes to learning a second language, the earlier you start the better off you'll be. Studies have shown that the younger a child learns a language, the better they will both understand and be able to speak it. But just in case your elementary school didn't offer First Grade Spanish, high school is a great place to start as well.

Your brain also improves a lot once you start learning another language. Psychologists from York University in Canada, discovered that students who learn a foreign language get higher scores in their courses and tests. Specially in categories such as math and vocabulary. This because learning a second language influences on the gray matter of the brain, the one that processes information, getting the student to absorb the information faster.

Worldwide Communication

By learning a second language you open a huge window. If you learn Spanish you'll be able to talk to to the 414 million people in the world who speak Spanish. If you learn Portuguese, the same thing will occur, with 203 million speakers. It doesn't really matter what second language you choose; the number of people you will be able to communicate with will grow.

It Provides Opportunity

Communicating with more people is the biggest reward you'll get from speaking two or more languages, but it will also increase your job opportunities. You'll be able to find a job by only speaking English, but if your resume says you can also speak French or Italian, it is more likely you'll get the job. Big companies tend to have business relationships with other, international companies. In order to communicate with those international partners, companies hire workers who can fluently speak a second language.

The Many Benefits of Language

Learning a second language is the best decision you'll ever make for multiple reasons. It not only increases the amount of people you can communicate with, increases your job opportunities improving your life or makes your brain work faster. It also helps you be more confident, makes traveling easier, gives you the opportunity to study abroad and opens your mind to new cultures. The amazing thing is that you can learn any language and you'll still get these rewards. Just pick one, maybe even two or three, you want to learn and start studying.

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Learning a Second Language in High School is Important - College Raptor

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Because English is a very popular language, American students tend to forget other languages may useful in their present and future life. People from Latin America, Asia, and Europe learn English as their second language at a very early age. They start studying it once they get into primary school.

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I was the Drum major and conducted my high school marching band

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I've been playing the cello for 10 years

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I have two older sisters and my parents