Dr. Holoua Stender, Executive Vice President of Education

Kamehameha’s newly created Education Group is led by Executive Vice President Dr. Holoua Stender, who announced the following organizational structure for the Kamehameha Schools Education System.

Kamehameha Schools Education System

As part of Kamehameha’s new strategic plan 2020, five groups, including Na Kula ‘o Kamehameha (K-12 campuses and preschools), Community Education, Ho‘okahua (Hawaiian Cultural Vibrancy), Ho‘olaukoa Educational Systems and Strategies (formerly known as the Office of Educator Growth and Development), and the newly created Mālama Ola (Student Well-Being, Safety and Health Services Department), will unite to comprise the new Kamehameha Schools Education System.

The education groups within the new KS school system will work and collaborate together in the spirit of laulima to support the needs and promote the educational aspirations of all of its learners, keiki, ‘ōpio and adults. The main goal of the KS Education System is to provide the beneficiaries of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi with high quality, nurturing and dynamic learning experiences which will inspire them to reach their goals and enable them to thrive, compete and become good and industrious people who serve their ‘ohana, communities and the world. The KS Education System will work with the Trustees, CEO and all other KS groups to implement and achieve our new Vision 2040 and Strategic Plan 2020.

The following sections provide brief descriptions of each of the five groups which comprise the Kamehameha Schools Education System.

Nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha: KS Campuses and Nā Kula Kamali‘i (Preschools)

Nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha, the KS campuses and Nā Kula Kamali‘i (preschools), have merged under a new leadership structure to serve the 7,000 pre-K-12th grade students across the state, as envisioned as part of Goal #1 of SP 2020. This new structure puts KS on a path to administratively coordinate and support all of the campuses and preschool programs as a whole rather than as separate entities. Functionally, this means that the three campus Po‘o Kula — Kāhealani Naeole-Wong, Earl Kim, and Lee Ann DeLima, will work closely with Nā Kula Kamali‘i Director Terry Kelly, all led by Dr. Rod Chamberlain, Ke Po‘o o Nā Kula (Head of Schools).

Community Education

Community Education (CE) provides direct services to learners and their families in our communities through programs and services which include literacy support for primary school learners and their teachers, support for Hawaiian culture-based charter and immersion schools, teacher development, college counseling and ‘āina and culture-based learning services. These efforts are led by Dr. Wai‘ale‘ale Sarsona, Managing Director of Community Education. During the summer and fall, Community Education will continue to reorganize its services and programs to be in alignment with the new strategic plan. The following changes within CE have either already been established, or will be phased in at different times over the SY 2015 summer and fall semester.

• The Collaborations team has joined the Strategy & Innovation Group.
• Preschools and the K-12 campuses have merged under a single leadership structure — Nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha.
• Hi‘ilani early child care program will remain in Community Education.
• The ‘Āina Ulu team (‘Āina-Based Education Department) has joined the Community Engagement & Resources Group.
• The ‘Āina ‘Ike team will remain in Community Education.

A new department of Community Education will be the Native Hawaiian School Network. This department will lead efforts to fulfill SP 2020, Goal #1’s aim to establish a Network of Native Hawaiian Schools comprised of the KS campuses, preschools, Hawaiian-focused charter schools and Hawaiian immersion schools. This department will include the Ho‘olako Like and Kauhale Kīpaipai departments.

Community Education will continue to review its organizational structure to articulate its role in SP2020 and relationship to Community Engagement & Resources, and the KS Education System. The goal is to increase the flexibility of Community Education to meet the needs of the community which are known today, while preparing for the education needs identified in the future.

Ho‘okahua Cultural Vibrancy Group

Ho‘okahua promotes cultural leadership, learning, consultation and development throughout the Kamehameha Schools Education System. It is led by Dr. Randie Kamuela Fong, Executive Culture Officer, who oversees a team of specialists and educators dedicated to building KS’ cultural capacity and strengthening Hawaiian identity for students, staff, families, alumni and the Hawaiian community as embodied in Goal #3 of SP2020. Strategically, Ho‘okahua will focus on Action #5 which promotes the ongoing learning and regular use of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i among KS staff and students, and Action#6, the embedding of Cultural Principles by all executive leaders and their respective staffs, divisions and campuses to positively impact daily operations and program delivery system-wide. Ho‘okahua’s new location in the KS Education System bring its services in closer proximity to Pauahi’s beneficiaries and those devoted to their education on our campuses and throughout the community.

Ho‘olaukoa Educational Systems and Strategies

Ho‘olaukoa was formerly a department of Campus Education known as Office of Educator Growth and Development, primarily serving the three campuses. Beginning this summer, Ho‘olaukoa will become a department of the KS Education System. From its new vantage point, Ho‘olaukoa will be poised to provide systems support to Nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha, Community Education and Ho‘okahua. The primary objectives of Ho‘olaukoa will be to promote curriculum and instruction planning, develop educational data systems, promote professional learning and performance management, and engage in education research and implementation related to educational issues such as educational improvement and college success. These efforts are led by Phyllis Unebasami, Managing Director of Ho‘olaukoa.

Mālama Ola

Mālama Ola, formerly assigned to Campus Education, became a new department of the KS Education System in July, 2015. Mālama Ola will take responsibility for student health, safety and well-being. Mālama Ola will be led by Dr. Kenneth Fink, who will supervise all KS medical and health-related staff, and an education safety officer, whose job it will be to develop and implement programs addressing student and employee health and safety. Programs which minimize environmental impacts related to education will also be assigned to Mālama Ola.

As a result of the changes described above, several leaders within the Kamehameha Schools Education System have new titles. New managing directors, Dr. Wai‘ale‘ale Sarsona and Phyllis Unebasami; Executive Culture Officer, Dr. Randie Fong; Ke Po‘o o Nā Kula (Head of Schools) Dr. Rod Chamberlain; and Director of Mālama Ola (Student Health and Well-Being) Dr. Kenny Fink, will all work with the Executive Vice President of Education, Holoua Stender to ho‘olōkahi (unify) and ho‘olaulima (collaborate) to build an integrated education system at Kamehameha.

Education Group org chart