Three Hawaii educators win first-ever Alaka'ina Award
Three Hawaii educators received a surprise $10,000 cash award and
a beautiful koa paddle for being the winners of the inaugural Alaka'ina (Leadership) Awards,
which were announced on July 19.
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation established the award to recognize educational leaders at or
above the Complex Area Superintendent level who have made some of the most significant
contributions to the K-12 public education system in Hawaii.
This is the first award to recognize
leaders above the school level who have worked to transform the educational system.
“The award recipients are distinguished educational leaders who value and focus on learning,
act strategically and take action,” said Mitch D’Olier, president and CEO of the Harold K.L. Castle
Foundation, in his remarks before the awards were presented. “They are the catalysts for positive
change and understand the implementation considerations necessary to drive transformation and
improve student learning. They invest in building the capacity of their people to sustain the effort,
and they promote and inspire excellence.”
An independent review committee considered all Complex Area Superintendents,
Assistant Superintendents and the Deputy Superintendent for the awards, which is given for
significant contributions to Hawaii’s Education Reform Agenda from January 1, 2010, through
June 30, 2012.
The committee unanimously selected three recipients. They are:
Mary Correa — Kau-Keaau-Pahoa Complex Area Superintendent:
When Correa’s Complex Area was named a “Zone of School Innovation” in 2010, Correa embraced
the opportunity to coordinate and integrate support for the schools and students to accelerate
achievement. Under her strong leadership skills, she rallied complex leaders and built a system of
support for teachers and leaders. As the latest test scores show, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa has made
significant gains.
Stephen Schatz — Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Strategic Reform:
Schatz played a significant role in leading change management for the Hawaii State Department of
Education. He assumed leadership of the Office of Strategic Reform in July 2011 as the state’s
$75 million Race to the Top grant entered its second year. Over the last year, Schatz worked
tirelessly to improve the grant’s progress. He has also provided the necessary leadership and
support to ensure timely and relevant implementation, restore confidence and ensure the
effective use of federal resources in Hawaii’s improvement initiatives.
Ronn Nozoe — Deputy Superintendent:
Nozoe brings a school-level sensibility to the ambitious reform initiatives based on his experiences
as an effective teacher, principal and Complex Area Superintendent. In addition to having the
responsibility as the department’s Chief Academic Officer, Nozoe is also the Project Sponsor for Race to the Top projects, such as the Zones of School Innovation. He has devoted a significant
amount of time in the Zone schools, including meeting teachers from every Zone school to explain
performance evaluation and develop teachers’ understanding. Nozoe has also led successful
negotiations with the Hawaii State Teachers Association for a supplemental agreement on
Extended Learning Time.
“We want to thank the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation for its long-standing belief that leadership
is one of the crucial factors in education reform,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “This
year’s award winners are truly outstanding leaders who are committed to transforming our public
education system in Hawaii.”
Before the announcement of the Alakaina Awards, the Hawaii Business Roundtable gave
the DOE a high-tech boost to support the teacher evaluation pilot program
for the 2012-2013 school year. The Roundtable purchased three Apple iPads for each of the
64 schools that volunteered to join the pilot program — a donation worth nearly $100,000. The
Harold K.L. Castle Foundation provided the Roundtable with a grant of $2,700 for this purpose.
The DOE successfully completed the first year of the pilot program in 18 schools in the
Zones of School Innovation (Nanakuli-Waianae and Kau-Keaau-Pahoa complex areas).
Photo caption (l-r): Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe, Assistant Superintendent Stephen Schatz, and Complex Area Superintendent Mary Correa.
July 2012 eNewsletter
