May 2012

Education Laboratory student is 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholar

hawaiidoereform.org

 

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25,000th student visits charter school

Star-Advertiser staff

West Hawaii Explorations Academy, a public charter school in Kona, welcomed its 25,000th student visitor on Wednesday. She is Kanani Oyakawa, a fourth-grader at Wilson Elementary School, pictured here with Heather Nakakura, co-director of West Hawaii Explorations Academy, left, and Wilson Elementary teacher Laura Hew.

 

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School's limits leave kids behind

Susan Essoyan, StarAdvertiser

Hunter Villanueva, who will be 5 in September, plays at Paki Park with his sister, Naweo, 3. Hunter would be eligible to start public school in the fall at any regular public school in the state, but the school that serves his district, Waialae Public Charter School, says it doesn't have room for him. Because it is a charter school, it is exempt from having to accept him.

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Legislators give nod to reform bills on early learning, charter schools

Mary Vorsino, Star Advertiser

Bills to overhaul Hawaii's early-learning system and charter school network easily gained passage at the Legislature on Thursday, with state lawmakers saying the proposed education improvements are long overdue.

The measures now go before the governor, who is expected to sign them into law.

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Charter school bill primed for lawmakers' OK

Susan Essoyan, StarAdvertiser

A complete overhaul of the state's charter school system is poised for passage Thursday at the state Legislature, along with $500,000 to help smooth the transition.

"I definitely feel that this legislation is going to help to create a much stronger charter school system here in Hawaii," said Senate Education Chairwoman Jill Tokuda. "I believe that it really does have that balance of autonomy that charter schools need to be innovative while still ensuring accountability, because these are public schools students and they are taxpayer dollars."

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