Kalaheo Elementary and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School are holding meetings early in September to discuss Act 51, or the Reinventing Education Act of 2004. The act was passed by the state Legislature this year, and the state Department of Education
Kalaheo Elementary and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School are holding meetings early in September to discuss Act 51, or the Reinventing Education Act of 2004.
The act was passed by the state Legislature this year, and the state Department of Education has adopted efforts to reshape the public-school system, called REACH, or the “Reinventing Education Act for the Children of Hawai‘i.” These two schools are participating in a pilot program to develop academic and financial plans and organize school-community councils. These councils will be involved with making decisions for each school’s priorities.
The Legislature appropriated $400,000 for the pilot program through Act 51.
A total of 22 principals around the state volunteered their schools for the pilot program.
While similar to School/Community-Based Management Councils, SCCs will have greater decision-making authority, and will work more closely with principals regarding academic and financial plans. As part of the program, they will adopt the weightedstudent formula, in which schools will be given funds based on “selected student characteristics” and relative costs for educating students, which may differ based on individual needs.
All schools will follow the weighted-student formula beginning with the 2006–07 school year, as required by the act.
Schools will have quicker access to services and resources now provided by other state departments.
For example, certain construction and maintenance services now provided by the state Department of Accounting and General Services will now be coordinated by the DOE.
Also, teachers, principals, administrative and support staff will also be held accountable to performance standards, using certification, incentive and contract programs.
At Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Principal Cynthia Matsuoka selected people to represent each of the six groups that will ultimately be involved with the SCC — administration, students, teachers, classified staff, parents and community representatives.
Members of the SCC will be elected by stakeholders of respective schools.
As this is a pilot program, it is not yet known whether those elected to the SCC will serve one- or two-year terms (in the first official year, SCC members will be in place for two-year terms). Ad hoc committee members will be able to run for election, Matsuoka said.
In addition to Matsuoka, who represents the school administration, the CKMS organizing committee includes: • Melissa Speetjens, representing teachers; • Paula Chihara, member of the school leadership team and representing parents (her son is now a Kaua‘i High School student); • Diane Nitta, secretary
ecorder and Kaua‘i district state DOE facilitator; • Courtney Perreira, an eighth grader representing students; • Lulu Cummings, school administrative services assistant (SASA), representing classified staff; and • Dennis Esaki, owner of Esaki Surveying and Mapping and the school’s partner in Team Tech Kaua‘i, representing the community at large. By press time it wasn’t known who is involved with organizing the Kalaheo School SCC. But both schools are hosting informational meetings where school administrators will discuss the implications of Act 51.
The Kalaheo Elementary School Parent Teacher Student Association will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9 in the school’s cafeteria, where the SCC process will be discussed.
The Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School ad hoc committee will hold a meeting Wednesday, Sept. 1 in the school cafeteria.
Registration begins at 6:15 p.m.
with the meeting to start at 6:30 p.m. Parents, students, teachers, support staff and other interested members of the community are welcome to attend.
