A passion for helping studentsto reach their highest potential iswhat motivates Kaneohe Ele-mentary special educationteacher Bella Finau-Faumuina.

Kumu Bella,as she is morecommonly re-ferred to, washonored as thestate winner ofthe prestigiousTeacher of

Promise Award from the NationalMilken Educators of Hawaii.The award annually recognizes ateacher who demonstrates excel-lence in the field and the highestqualities of a professional educa-tor during their first six semestersin the classroom. Established in2007, the award alternates be-tween elementary and secondaryteachers.

Kumu Bella was surprisedwith the certificate of recognitionfor her outstanding work duringa schoolwide assembly. A $1,000check from sponsors at theHawaiiUSA Federal CreditUnion will be presented to her atan upcoming National MilkenEducators of Hawaii luncheon.

"I humbly accept this awardon behalf of the community andfor all of us who work so hardfor our keiki," said Kumu Bella."They deserve the best educationpossible and they get that here atKaneohe Elementary."

Kumu Bella spearheads the In-novation Academy at KaneoheElementary, an experimentalschool-within-a-school, to pro-vide inclusive learning experi-ences for students with disabili-ties. In the academy, subjects areintegrated and taught in a hands-

on fashion, providing a high de-gree of relevance and applicabil-ity. Kumu Bella regularly ex-poses her students to differentcommunity partners to illustratehow classroom lessons can be ap-plied to a variety of careers.

"When kids are engaged andthey have relevant content, they'reable to connect to who they areand refine their strengths," saidKumu Bella.

Kumu Bella’s effectivenesshas been proven through an im-provement in attendance, an in-crease of student assessmentscores, and a positive transfor-mation in student engagementlevels. Students speak of her abil-ity to instill a love for learningand parents frequently express anappreciation for her positive im-pact and innovative teachingmethods.

Superintendent’s

EDUCATION UPDATEHAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | APRIL 2019

CONNECT WITH US!

OpportunitiesEDUCATORS

During the first ever HawaiiWorld of Work Week April 8-12,your classroom can beintroduced to local Hawaiicareers through virtualpresentations every day via theNepris platform. Students willlearn about the future of workfrom employers like Bayer, MauiHealth, National SolarObservatory, Oceanit, and more.Classes and schools can signup for any of these enrichingand informative sessions.Register with a free account onthe Nepris platform and selectthe sessions at bit.ly/WOWHI19.

Be a part of a movement toimpact Hawai‘i’s futuregenerations. Join us at the freeIt’s Great to Be a Teacher inHawaii event on April 27 atLeeward Community College —designed to help you start yourcareer as a substitute teacher ortransition into a full-time teachingrole. Substitute teachers,emergency hires, educationalassistants, part-time teachers,and para-educators areencouraged to attend. Register:bit.ly/TeachHI19

The Voya Unsung HeroesAward annually selects 100educators to receive $2,000 tohelp fund their innovative classprojects. Three of those arechosen to receive the topawards of an additional $5,000,$10,000 and $25,000. Learnmore and apply by April 30 atwww.scholarsapply.org/unsungheroes.

HawaiiPublicSchools.org | 808-586-3230 | Email: doe_info@hawaiidoe.org | Social:

Kumu Bella named ‘Teacher of Promise’

The Hawai‘i DOE continuesto see increases in the numberof students who are both takingand passing Advanced Place-ment Program® (AP®) Exams,according to the College BoardAP Program Results: Class of2018.

The results show that 4,141Hawaiʻi public high school sen-iors in the Class of 2018 took anAP Exam while in high school,an increase of 2.4 percentagepoints from the previous year;1,908 of these graduating seniorsscored 3 or higher on an APexam, an increase of 1.9 percent-age points over the previous year.

This increase of 1.9 percent-

age points among graduatesscoring a 3 or higher was thesecond-highest one-year gainnationwide, behind only theDistrict of Columbia's increaseof 2.8 percentage points.

"Our efforts toward increasedopportunities for students to ac-cess college-level courses areshowing great results, in part,through AP access and in-creased student score perform-ance year over year since 2007,"said Supt. Christina M. Kishi-moto.

Hawaiʻi public schools offera total of 364 authorized AP col-lege-level courses and exams at38 high schools.

Hawai‘i Class of 2018 ranked 2nd nationwidefor one-year growth in AP exam passing rate

Kumu Bella

CLASS OF ‘18 EARNING 3 OR HIGHER: 1-YEAR PERFORMANCE CHANGE

District of Columbia 2.8Hawaii 1.9North Dakota 1.5Rhode Island 1.3Wyoming 1.3Connecticut 1.2California 1.1Indiana 1.1Illinois 1.0New Jersey 1.0New Mexico 1.0

Inouye Elementary Teacher Es-ther Park interviewed her students(names have been replaced by firstinitials) to share their thoughts onthe following questions:

What does student voice meanto you?

“You get to speak out instead ofletting other people choose for you.It’s about letting students choosewhat they get to do.” — B

“It means being able to say youropinion toward the school and whatyou really think about it. — T

“You know how sometimes yourparents order for you at McDon-ald’s? It’s when you get to order foryourself.” — S

“I think student voice is whenstudents actually have a say in whatthe school does or is planning todo.”  —  A

“Everyone should have a voiceeven if it isn’t as loud as the oth-ers.” — E

Why is student voice important?“It affects us. You don’t want

somebody else to make decisionsthat are going to impact your life.You would probably want to be apart of that decision. So we shouldbe involved.” — K

“If it’s something that has to dowith kids, I believe kids should bethe ones who know what’s happen-ing and they should get to vote forit.” — E

“Having parents or other adultstell you what to do isn’t fun for any-one. It’s not teaching you aboutlife.” — M

“I believe student voice is impor-tant at school. We do a lot of funactivities at school but kids shouldknow what the adults are planningand decide if they want to come ornot.” — E

“If the adults were the only onesmaking the decisions, we wouldn’thave as many creative things thatkids are excited about.” — C

“The voice of students is kind ofspecial. I want to be brave and usemy voice for something that I en-joy.” — J

What does an absence ofstudent voice look like? Whymight some students hesitate toshare their voice?

“When there’s an absence of stu-dent voice, students would be angrybecause they don’t get to state theiropinions.” — H

“Some kids might not share theirvoice because they think peoplemight make fun of them and thekinds of things they like. You mightfeel embarrassed, but actually, theremight be people out there that likethe same things as you so youshould share.” — K

“I always felt afraid to speak be-cause I thought people would laughat my opinion. When I did startspeaking about my opinions, I ac-tually realized that I was wrong. SoI believe that children should justtry speaking their ideas before judg-ing.” — S

“If kids don’t speak up for them-selves, they won’t get what theywant and they won’t ever face theirfears.” — C

“I think without students speakingup, it would be really boring. Kidswould just be sitting in class doingwhatever the teacher says… I thinksome kids don’t say anything be-cause they think their ideas are prettystupid. They think it’s amazing when

other people share their ideas, butthey don’t realize their own ideascan sound amazing too.” — M

“There would be no StudentCouncil and no choices for anyone.Without students having a voice,there’s no way students can givefeedback. — E

“When I was in [another state], Imade sure not to talk because ofthis chart that had all these colors.If you go to red, you’d get punishedand recess would be taken away.”— J

“The reason behind why peoplewon’t share their voice? Social me-dia is where a lot of these things start.When you share what you think,people comment to say mean andhurtful things. I see this happeningon Facebook a lot. It can escalate tothings in your job, school and build-ing. People are scared.” — C

How can adults help studentsshare their voice? What can youdo to help your peers?

“We have to feel comfortable tolet out our feelings. We gotta knowthat they will be listening.” — B

“I think it’s important to help stu-dents feel like it’s ok to share theirideas. We should all encourage mis-takes and say they’re expected, in-spected and respected. Adultsshould encourage students and saytheir ideas are good.” — M

“As fifth graders, other kids lookup to us. We should check in withother people and ask how they aredoing.” — H

“Sometimes if parents don’t knowexactly what is going on, they canbring them to a therapist or a schoolcounselor to talk to them.” — J

“You can get the person’s atten-tion before you talk to them. Stateyour opinion but don’t forget to askfor their opinion too.” — H

“Teachers shouldn’t have all thecontrol. Students should be able tomake their own decisions. It’s prob-ably not the best thing to do anywaybecause children are living thingsand we do not deserve to be treatedbadly.” — H

“Adults are older so if we dis-

agree, we should disagree respect-fully. Instead of yelling or speakingloudly, you could just say, “Well, Idon’t really agree with that. Maybewe can find a different way” to theperson.” — J

Counter Arguments“Adults know what was fun for

them when they were little. Couldn’tthey know what’s fun for other kids?They’ve been through it.” — J

“I’m not saying kids shouldn’tspeak their mind. It’s just that somekids would go overboard. Adultsare responsible and they want theirkids to be safe.” — C

***Students are counting on us to

include them in conversations onmatters that directly affect them.Ask yourself:

What is the default for studentsat my school? Are students taughtor even incentivized to stay quiet?Are students aware that they have avoice and that it is valued?

Do students have high quality op-portunities to practice advocatingfor themselves productively and re-spectfully with authority figures?What structures or systems need tobe redesigned for all students tohave access to these experiences?

How am I contributing/not con-tributing to my students feeling safeand comfortable at school? Howcan I get others involved in makingthis a priority?

The more exposure our studentshave to planning, dialoguing, deci-sion-making, and accepting respon-sibility, the more empowered theywill feel to initiate positive changemaking in our schools and commu-nities. Start by listening — no matterhow young they may seem.

PAGE 2 › EDUCATION UPDATE

What 5th graders have to say SCHOOL DESIGN STUDENT VOICE TEACHER COLLABORATION

HIGH-IMPACT STRATEGIES:bit.ly/HIDOE-strategies

“This discussion allowedme to gain valuable studentinsights on safety, choice,sense of self and belonging.It also left me wonderingand reflecting on my ownrole as an adult who seeksto help students discoverthe power of their voice.”

— Esther Park

“This new building not only impacts us, but alsofuture generations of Lady Falcons as they are

now given the resources to follow their dreams.”

— KALANI STUDENT BODy PRESIDENT LAUREN HORITA

APRIL 2019 ‹ PAGE 3

Success Stories KALANI HIGH DEDICATES NEW GIRLS ATHLETICS FACILITIES

Kalani High’s students, parents and staff celebratedthe dedication of several new athletics facilities in-cluding a girls’ locker room, an athletics trainers’

facility, a judo and wrestling room, additional storage forthe track and field area, and a renovation of the existing

girls’ physical educationlocker room and showerfacilities.

The 19,300 square-foot athletics facility ad-dresses Title IX genderequity requirements byproviding the schoolwith its first girls’ ath-letic locker room. It pro-

vides female athletes with personal lockers, access to hotshowers, an area for game planning, and the convenienceof a closer proximity to their athletic trainers.

The project also included new restrooms, parking, utilitiesand improvements to drainage, walkways and landscaping.The two-year project cost approximately $7.6 million.

CLOCKWISE FROMTOP LEFT: PrincipalMitchell Otani and stu-dent body PresidentLauren Horita kick offthe blessing of the newfacilities with a tradi-tional Chinese lion; in-side view of the lockerroom; equipment forathletics trainers;Horita addresses thecommunity at the dedi-cation ceremony;House Speaker Emeri-tus Calvin Say re-ceives a tour of thelocker room from astudent athlete.

APR 22

EARTH DAYEarth Day Network’sK-12 educationprogram providesresources foreducators, standards-based environmental lesson plans andhands-on activities to teach studentsabout environmental protections, endingplastic pollution, protecting species,understanding climate science, andmore. Download their free toolkit:www.earthday.org/campaigns/education.

Public education is a nexus ofchange for Hawai‘i. Throughoutthis past year, I’ve spoken aboutthe power and promise of theHawai‘i DOE at our schools andforums, before the Legislature,with business and communityleaders. Our power comes fromour our core mission of equity,excellence and innovation for allstudents; and our promise is inour delivery of that mission byensuring access, engagement,and voice for all students.

As more schools and our educational system operate as a Learning Organization (bit.ly/HIDOELearnOrg), scaling ca-pacity to deliver meaningful, in-

novative and rigorous educa-tional experiences that build col-lege, career and communityreadiness for our haumana (basedon their passions and interests!),the more we will see a thriving,sustainable state grounded in thevalues of HĀ.

The promise of public educa-tion to provide equitable access toquality learning is the great hopeof our society. In order to mālamaHawai‘i, we have to mālama ourpublic education system.

For the next several months,we will be engaging our staff,families, communities and part-ners in a conversation around ourcollective will to deliver on the

promise ofpublic educationin a 2030 Strategic Promise Plan.

There is urgency around thiswork. Homelessness and afford-able housing. Transit. Preservingthe environment. Growing thestrength and impact of our cul-tural heritage and native lan-guage. Economic developmentand the future of work. Cleanfood and water. We will leveragethe cultural abundance, talent andenergy of Hawai‘i’s public edu-cation system to meet the chal-lenges we face and create thechange we want to see throughwell prepared, empowered, andcivically engaged young people.

It is audacious and inspiringwork that requires commitmentfrom all our stakeholders toachieve. More information willbe coming soon, but here are twoopportunities to learn more:

• April 4 and April 18 Boardof Education meetings: I willpresent the initial timeline andprocess, and on the 18th releasefive draft 2030 promise state-ments to kick off eight months of community conversations.

• Equity, Excellence, and Innovation: I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to read the vision statement for this work that I shared in January:bit.ly/HIDOE-10

Education Update is a monthly newsletter by the Department’s Communications Office, distributed to schools, the first Board of Education meeting of the month, and posted to HawaiiPublicSchools.org. We encourage submissions! Please contact us at the phone, email or social channels above.

EDUCATION UPDATE › APRIL 2019 › BACK PAGE

CONNECT WITH US! HawaiiPublicSchools.org | 808-586-3230 | Email: doe_info@hawaiidoe.org | Social:

Supt’s Corner DR. CHRISTINA M. KISHIMOTO

Don’t Miss This! EVENTS, DEADLINES & FUN STUFF

APR 24 ›››

YOUTH XCHANGE‘Ōlelo Community Media’s annual youthXChange student video competitionprovides a platform for students toshowcase their video storytelling skillsacross a host of story and PSAcategories, including 808 No Vape,Speak Up for Justice, The Value ofWater, Mini-Documentary, Hawai‘i’sClean Energy Future and others. Seethe full list of student finalists here:olelo.org/yxc2019 — tune in on the 24thto see who wins!

APR 8-10

STUDENT SCIENTISTS COMPETEThe top student research and projectsfrom district fairs across the Islands willconverge at the Hawaii Convention

Center for the 2019 Hawaii StateScience & Engineering

Fair, where they will earncash, scholarships andother awards; top winnerswill represent the state atthe International Science

& Engineering Fair in Mayin Phoenix, AZ.

GRADUATION DATES ›››

IMUA CLASS OF 2019!Starting in mid-May, Hawai‘i’s public andcharter schools will begin hosting the2019 graduation ceremonies for anestimated 10,000 seniors who will havecompleted the requirements for adiploma. Congratulations to oureducators and support staff, familiesand especially students on thismomentous occasion! Get the full list of ceremonies, times and locations on our website:bit.ly/HIDOEgrad19