Karen Liu, King Kaumuali’i Elementary School’s principal, has been named the National Distinguished Principal for Hawai’i 2002, singling out her work from the 235 elementary and middle school principals in the state. Liu is a principal who clearly cares and
Karen Liu, King Kaumuali’i Elementary School’s principal, has been named the National Distinguished Principal for Hawai’i 2002, singling out her work from the 235 elementary and middle school principals in the state.
Liu is a principal who clearly cares and takes pride in her students, and who looks out for their needs first. About 600 children attend “King K” from kindergarten to fifth grade. Under her leadership, the school has begun the Standards Implementation Design, a statewide program that lists educational goals for every child to accomplish before going on to the next grade level.
She’s also started the “4 Bs” program, which teaches pupils about respectable behavior: Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible. Be cooperative. Liu says the “4 Bs” are posted in each classroom, in the cafeteria, in hallways and in her office to remind everyone of the important lessons in life, which are not just successes in academics.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about all the other principals in the state…they know it’s such a challenging job.”
Before coming to King Kaumuali’i Elementary in 2000, Liu, who grew up in Kapa’a, was principal at Kilauea School from 1994-2000. She received a masters degree in education from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in 1976, and taught third and fourth grades before becoming a principal.
Each of the state’s seven school districts may choose one representative for the National Distinguished Principal Program. Kaua’i elementary and middle school principals nominated Liu. The Hawai’i Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association (HEMSAA) obtained evaluations from each nominee’s district superintendent, a student’s parent, a member of the community, a teacher and a fellow principal. A committee chosen by HEMSAA selected Liu as the 2002 Principal of the Year.
HEMSAA and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) sponsors the National Distinguished Principal Program. The NAESP began this program in 1984 to honor exemplary elementary and middle school principals who set the pace, character, and quality of the education children receive during their early school years, according to their Web site.
“It means so much more because my colleagues are part of the selection,” Liu said.
In October, Liu will travel to Washington, D.C. for a recognition ceremony, where she’ll take part in an idea exchange and topic interaction session. Liu said she’s especially looking forward to networking with principals from all over the country.
Liu’s philosophies on education are focused on meeting childrens’ needs first, whether their needs are academic, social or emotional.
From repair and maintenance to choosing curriculum; from discipline to school lunches, a school principal runs everything from the time school opens to the time it closes, plus more, Liu said.
Parent involvement is something she’s working on every day. Parents can show their support as simply as getting their children to school on time with completed homework if they don’t have time to attend PTSA meetings. “All parents have priorities and they have to balance them,” Liu said.
Liu said speaking standard English may positively affect the educational standards she has for King Kaumuali’i. Instead of speaking pidgin in the classroom, she said, “students are encouraged to speak standard English, but not to give up on their language and way of communication…we need to respect the culture.”
Discipline, like at other schools, must be doled out in the form of office referrals and detention. However, the 4 Bs seem to be working at King Kaumuali’i. Liu said disciplinary problems such as teasing, fighting and bullying are not that significant.
In spite of the challenges and responsibilities Liu faces in her work, children are the most important part of her job, said Liu. At the beginning of the school year, she goes to every classroom to meet students. Each week, she said she eats lunch in the cafeteria and goes out to the playground for “talk story time” with her students.
“I know that ultimately if I have the children at heart and display that, it will make a difference,” she said.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
