One of the pressing issues facing Hawai'i public schools is its shortage of teachers. Add an expected wave of retirements — more than 21 percent of our teaching staff is 55 or older — and the situation is even more dire.

But there's encouraging news in the Teach for America program, now in its second year in Hawai'i. Teach for America is a national nonprofit program that takes the brightest graduates from top-notch universities — Stanford, Princeton and Yale among them — and runs them through a rigorous five-week camp, training them to work as teachers in underserved classrooms.

During their two-year tenure, they earn master's degrees in education and work toward teaching certification. They are given mentors and build partnerships with business communities, all centered on civic engagement and closing the achievement gap at disadvantaged schools.

In exchange, they bring passion, enthusiasm and their smarts to the task of helping students achieve, while filling much-needed teaching slots. It's a program that needs to be expanded to bring more talented, qualified teachers into Hawai'i classrooms.

Hawai'i's 98 Teach for America teachers work in 22 schools: 21 on the Leeward side or in Central O'ahu and one in Honolulu.

These aren't run-of-the-mill graduates. The program is extremely competitive. Since its inception in 1990, the number of applicants has soared. Last year more than 18,000 students applied for just over 3,000 openings nationally.

Some are education majors, but most are not. They have degrees in a variety of disciplines and are typically among the top students in their classes. They compete for the chance to make a difference in the lives of other young people and add civic engagement to their already resumes.

Ethan Lin made the trek from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to teach at James Campbell High School. And there's no doubt Lin, 22, a business major who teaches geometry and an after-school computer-based learning program, just can't get enough of his work.

"This has absolutely exceeded all of my expectations. It's been very fulfilling. I have been able to impact the achievement of many kids — and I feel that I'm actually able to make a difference," says Lin, who is in his first year of the program.

He says the low salary and the high cost of living took some getting used to, but he'd rather focus on his teaching job and making the most of his time in the classroom. Now that's inspiring.

But the program is not without its critics. A 2005 study by a team of Stanford University professors reported that uncertified Teach For America teachers were outperformed by certified teachers. In addition, questions were raised over whether TFA teachers received enough rigorous training and the fact that 40 percent of TFA teachers opt not to stay in the profession after their two-year term.

Still, the program has earned high marks across the nation, and applicants keep coming, TFA officials say.

Hawai'i apparently is no exception. A recent study showed 100 percent of principals who responded at schools that employed TFA corps members said they would hire another TFA teacher; 95 percent said they felt TFA teachers were just as effective as, or in some case even more effective than, non-TFA beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement.

"To me that's the best sign that are teachers are doing what they are supposed to be doing," says Jill Baldemor, executive director of Teach for America's Hawai'i program.

Coping with the nation's teacher shortages will take efforts in many areas, from higher salaries to better working conditions to working with universities to produce more teachers. Teach for America's success is a reminder we should explore a variety of innovative solutions.

Make a difference. Donate to The Advertiser Christmas Fund.