Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada met with his educational officers yesterday to clarify expectations for school year 2006-07. “Our primary job is student achievement,” Hamada wrote in an email. “Communication (of our) expectations needs to be crystal clear.” Hamada said
Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada met with his educational officers yesterday to clarify expectations for school year 2006-07.
“Our primary job is student achievement,” Hamada wrote in an email. “Communication (of our) expectations needs to be crystal clear.”
Hamada said State Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto had set the minimum benchmark at 15 percent growth. In order to attain that growth, Hamada said schools need to ensure ownership of their Academic Financial Plans. Quarterly reports to the CAS must reflect student achievement of the goals stated in the plans.
Curriculum maps that show which standards are the focus for which quarter must be developed collaboratively and aligned with the newly revised Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards III. Teachers must teach to these standards, he said.
“Every decision, every program implemented … must be driven by student learning data,” Hamada said.
Most schools have established Professional Learning Communities and have scheduled times for these PLCs to meet. Hamada said administrators need to hold teachers accountable that the time spent is “structured, focused, based on evidence.”
Hamada said administrators should articulate a compelling vision of what they want their schools to look like when targets are met. Any communication should be consistent with the school’s learning principles, he said.
Customer service is another aspect of good communication. Hamada said that Project Aloha is “plain common courtesy.”
Project Aloha is a Department of Education program that fulfills a Board of Education “Public Service and User Friendly Schools” policy. It focuses on making schools and offices visitor-friendly. The program includes self evaluations, customer service training and awards. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated by “mystery shoppers” and “secret callers.”
Although it may sound intimidating, Gwen Fujie, the Project Aloha coordinator, said the shoppers and callers are there to measure the success of the program.
“It’s to see what we’re doing right,” she said, contrary to some published reports. “It’s also so we can see what we can do to change things if it doesn’t work.”
Hamada introduced new administrators at yesterday’s meeting as well.
Liela Nitta was officially approved as the principal for ‘Ele‘ele School where she has been serving as the acting principal for most of the 2005-06 school year.
“She has done an outstanding job in helping to guide the school,” Hamada said, noting that she was delayed in getting to the leadership meeting because she was getting the school ready to open.
Debbie Lindsey has been busy getting down to the business of Koloa School, Hamada said of the acting principal.
“I know she has good judgment as she chose the right Complex Area to work in,” Hamada said. “She comes with very good credentials and experience and her former Complex Area Superintendent spoke very highly of her.”
Sherry Scott will be returning to Wilcox School, Hamada said.
Other vice principals who will head the school teams include Anne Kane who will join Fred Rose at Kilauea School, Lisa McDonald who will work with Dora Hong at Kapa‘a Elementary, Deron Doi will return to the position he was temporarily assigned to at Kaua‘i High School.
Melissa Speetjens will also return to the position she was temporarily assigned to at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School and Paul Zina will be assigned to King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School to get the elementary school experience from Karen Liu, his mentor.
Hamada said in an earlier telephone interview that the recent signing of Act 286 into law allowing the employment of retired teachers and administrators will not affect Kaua‘i Complex Area schools. There are enough administrators and at this point, all teacher positions are filled.
Hamada said Personnel Regional Officer Diane Nitta had done a good job recruiting.
They were further assisted by the University of Hawai‘i post baccalaureate program on Kaua‘i that saw a number of graduates in June qualify for positions.
As school prepares to open its doors a week from Thursday, Nitta said there are only five positions that are currently being worked on to fill all positions.
• Cynthia Matsuoka is a freelance writer for The Garden Island and former principal of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. She can be reached by e-mail at aharju@kauaipubco.com
• Staff photographer and writer Dennis Fujimoto contributed to this article.
