Pono Investment

This is just a  moʻolelo about what a pono path and an investment in the future can do to move mountains in a short amount of time.

My brother, Dr. Walter Kahumoku came to UHWO in January and quickly created a very logical logic model/change model on paper to create a pathway from the public schools to UHWO back to the public schools. This was a grow your own teacher education pathway that included early college courses, bridging programs, tutor support, financial support in the form of work study, college prep and testing support up to availability for a masters program as well as a teacher leadership cadre to also grow our own teacher mentors for the high school and college teacher candidates.

By March of the same year, a few of us were on the road to sell the program to principals, complex area superintendents, community non profits, anyone who would listen. Then there was a big meeting to reiterate the story, talk about the path and answer questions.

This is December, same year, and brother and his very invested staff, made up of several veteran teachers from the area who left their schools to work with UHWO (work with Walter) have just held their first hōʻike with the teacher leadership academy high schoolers from Waiʻanae HS, Kapolei HS and Campbell HS. It was a sight to see. Packed multipurpose ballroom, happy parents, excited students.

The teachers are invested. Even my student teacher at Waiʻanae who is able to still work for the writing center at UHWO but as a tutor at Waiʻanae is invested. These have become her kids. Our principals are smart enough to use our student teachers as TLA tutors and instructors. Those same principals who said well this kind of thing has been tried before are happy!

It is a moʻo worthy project. I am honored to be on the fringes of this movement.