3 Principals Step Up For Area Schools

Wednesday - December 03, 2008

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With schools losing funding, programs and credit in the community, three new Windward District - principals Dwight Uetake of Heeia Elementary, Sheena Alaiasa of King Intermediate and Donna Lindsey of Kahuku High and Intermediate - are taking on the problems with high spirits.

“I’m just real happy,“said Uetake on getting the position. “Heeia is a good school, and the staff is very supportive of what goes on. So, being appointed to this school has been an honor.“He also said Heeia students are great to work with, too.

Uetake’s main goal is to get the school to pass its Adequate Yearly Progress tests. “It’s sad because there’s a whole lot of good things going on in this school,“he said,“and the teachers work hard and the students work hard.”

He wasn’t as concerned about Gov.Lingle’s requested DOE budget cuts as much as other schools.“It’s out of our hands,“he said.“We have to work with the services we have now so we can meet the students needs.”


 

Lindsey had similar thoughts concerning the budget cuts.“As far as the classrooms, they haven’t been touched,“she said, noting that it could all change, but as far as funding for the classrooms and students needs is concerned, she wasn’t worried.

Her Kahuku campus is under restructuring for failing to meet the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act, but she’s confident in the programs being used to help the school get back on track.

“We have a restructuring program called Achievement 4 All. It’s not very different from the action plans they’ve had in the past as far as curriculum, assessment, and instruction and accountability; but we have some outside help. The teachers have been taking to that really well.”


Alaiasa, formerly an administrator at Heeia Elementary School, admitted that King also has a rocky past, but she’s ready for the challenge.

“The school has had a rough patch with publicity,“she said.“But I think the school is excellent, and the teachers have got the kids hearts, academic learning and achievements in the right place.”

Alaiasa has plans to increase family participation at the school by having more family-oriented events and activities, but the budget cuts may hinder her ideas.

“I’m very worried about it,” she said. “Because with all these programs that I’d like to see - like family-based things, activities for the kids, character building things - that goes by the wayside when you have to worry about content.

“I’m worried about the whole thing,” she added. “You’ve got to have a balanced child, but when money’s being taken away from you, your kids aren’t going to be too balanced.”

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