LIHU‘E — Parents of 20 students enrolled at Na Kama Pono, a lab preschool at Kaua‘i Community College, are struggling to keep the learning facility open. KCC Chancellor Helen Cox met with Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Dire, Char
LIHU‘E — Parents of 20 students enrolled at Na Kama Pono, a lab preschool at Kaua‘i Community College, are struggling to keep the learning facility open.
KCC Chancellor Helen Cox met with Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Dire, Char Ono, head of the Health Education Division, and Na Kama Pono Director Dana Shelit to discuss options and vent frustrations over the closing of the lab preschool during a parent group meeting Wednesday.
Parents were emotional about the decision.
The announcement to close Na Kama Pono temporarily starting June 1 was made by KCC Wednesday.
“I wish we could have spared our parents, keiki, faculty and staff this decision, but in order to be an asset to the community in the future, we need to close now, regroup, and get accredited,” Cox said in a statement. “This was a terribly difficult decision to make, and it was not made lightly. I consulted with faculty, staff, administrators and community advisors, as well as doing my own research before coming to the conclusion that this decision is necessary. We also understand that this decision has an impact on our families and are seeking alternatives for them in the community.”
Frustrated parents said the decision could have come earlier, allowing parents more time to try and find an alternate institution for their children.
“We are being left hanging without any regard to our lives and the children’s well-being,” a parent said. “It is unfair for anyone to be put in this kind of situations.”
Dire said while the lab preschool is closed, KCC students can continue their study in the Early Childhood Education program.
“Students in the ECE program will be able to continue their degrees uninterrupted because KCC will partner with other preschools on the island for our students to obtain their required field experience,” Dire said.
Due to a 2010 faculty retirement and difficulties recruiting a permanent replacement, ECE was without a program coordinator for the entire 2011 year and a large part of 2012.
During this period, revisions to keep curriculum current with the needs identified by both community advisors and potential employers in this rapidly-changed education field were not made.
Additionally, adequate preparations for the 2014 renewal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation, including staff development, did not take place.
Currently, the lab school is not able to meet the requirements for re-accreditation.
KCC has made the decision to close the laboratory preschool for this reason.
Closing the lab school will allow KCC to rebuild the program from the ground up, officials said. This rebuilding includes updating the curriculum to incorporate current research and trends in early childhood development.
The college will also perform much-needed deferred maintenance and improvements to the facility while seeking NAEYC accreditation for the associate of science degree program as well as re-establishing Na Kama Pono lab preschool accreditation.
The objective in taking this time-out is to create a leading college ECE program, which will prepare students for child development careers in this rapidly-advancing education field, KCC officials said. The college hopes to reopen the laboratory school at a future date with programs that will fully support 21st century experiences for students as well as to continue to offer preschool opportunities for KCC students, faculty and staff.
Na Kama Pono lab preschool was created to support the KCC associate of science degree in ECE. It is licensed to enroll 20 preschool keiki. During any academic year when all 20 slots are not filled with keiki of KCC students, faculty and staff, families from outside of KCC have been able to enroll their children.
The ECE curriculum includes three laboratory courses for the students where students gain experience in an actual preschool environment under the direction of qualified college ECE instructors.
Na Kama Pono provided the field experience to ECE students without them having to leave the college campus.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
