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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0652.004 2014-2016 pl is 5c Murashige, Laura C(052 , 2 From: Gude, Anais <Anais.Gude@teachforamerica.org> Sent: Thursday,April 14, 2016 12:32 PM To: Council Testimony Cc: Manago, Dawn; Fujimoto,JR Subject: Nonprofit Grant Recommendations Written Testimony Attachments: TFA Letter of Support Konawaena Middle.pdf;Art Souza - letter of support(1).pdf; Yoshida - Konawaena letter.pdf; Konawaena High Letter of support.pdf; Letter of Support from Principal Beck KHPES (2) (1).pdf Aloha Hawai'i County Council, Please see attached five pieces of written testimony for Teach For America Hawai'i (Sort 136) for the FY17 County of Hawai`i grant. Thank you for your consideration and please let me know if you need any other documentation. Anais Anais Gude Manager, Hawai'i Island External Affairs I Teach For America-Hawai'i 75-5706 Kuakini Highway,Suite 102 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808)769-4526 7-CZ// ca ci dki htwa#°c 21f16 From: Manago, Dawn [mailto:Dawn.Manago@hawaiicounty.gov] Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 11:03 AM °5.?.To: David, Maile Cc: Barido, Davelyn Comm: No. Ref: To: l N SSS1 92056 G Subject: Nonprofit Grant Recommendations Ref. ote AF Aloha Applicants, This is a follow up to our previous email forwarding Communication 652.2 and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee. The Human Services and Social Services Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. at the West Hawai`i Civic Center. Anyone wishing to testify may do so at the meeting on April 19th 2016 when discussion and decision-making will take place. You may testify in person at any of the following videoconference sites: West Hawaii Civic Center,Hilo Council Chambers, Waimea Council Office, Kamehameha Park Complex in Kapaau, Na`alehu State Office Building and Pahoa Neighborhood Facility. Written testimony may be submitted no later than 12 1 noon on April 4,2016 by mail to the County Clerk's Office in Hilo,25 Aupuni Street, Hilo,Hawai`i 96720; by facsimile to 808-961-8912; or via email to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov. Please submit separate testimony for each item. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dawn Manago at(808) 323-4276. Mahalo a nui. Maile Medeiros David Councilmember, Council District 6 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg. "A" Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i 96740 Telephone: (808) 323-4277 Email: maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov 2 DAVID Y. IGE KATHRYN S. MATAYOSHI 0-1:::317:\ GOVERNOR SUPERINTENDENT • -il,:,14x N.d `,r° ARTHUR F.SOUZA COMPLEX AREA SUPERINTENDENT STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION KONAWAENA MIDDLE SCHOOL 81-1045 KONAWAENA SCHOOL ROAD KEALAKEKUA.HAWAII 96750 TELEPHONE(B08)323.45666 September 21, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: I feel compelled to write this letter in support of the Teach For America program that is currently represented by 7 current or former TFA teachers on our campus. My experience with working with Teach For America Corps members is that they play an integral role in the Konawaena Middle School campus. The teachers have consistently come to school with much enthusiasm for teaching and the energy to match. I have always appreciated the corps members'willingness to make necessary adjustments and their acceptance and utilization of feedback that they are given. I believe that the Department of Education should continue to maintain this working relationship with Teach For America because some of the more talented teachers that I have worked with had their beginnings with Teach For America. Our students have enjoyed the energy that the TFA teachers bring to the classroom. Some of our more popular teachers are our TFA teachers. With the teacher shortage, especially in secondary education, I see TFA as a viable option for the DOE to continue to tap. Last year, we had a TFA teacher receive national recognition for her prowess in the classroom. This brought positive attention to our school and some pride to our faculty. In addition to this, we have had TFA teachers work with students after school and coach students at the State Robotics Championship on Oahu. It is for all these reasons that I hope that the DOE and TFA can continue a partnership that has proven beneficial for the students of the state of Hawaii,in particular,those of Konawaena Middle School. Best Regards, r Teddy Burgess 7/, Sp '" ./, Principal, Konawaena Middle School Telephone: (808) 323-4566 • Fax: (808) 323-4574 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER DAVID IGEE>aa KATHRYN S. MATAYOSHI SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNOR �t'. 'S; /1 : 'mo i;. w # • i ARTHUR SOUZA . /;r•? COMPLEX AREA SUPERINTENDENT STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION KONAWAENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 81-901 Onouli Road KEALAKEKUA, HAWAII 96750 September 21, 2015 Letter in Support of Teach for America My name is Claire L. Yoshida. I have been a principal going on 29 years and this will be my 16th year as principal at Konawaena Elementary School. Every year, I learn more as an administrator and I continue to improve my craft. Hiring, training, improving and retaining good teachers is one of the most important tasks for a principal. Konawaena currently enjoys the enviable status of being a Recognition School. I believe that over the years, I have been able to hire, train, improve and retain many quality teachers. On the flip side, I continue to have a difficult time recruiting and hiring teachers to teach at my school. I believe this is not so much an Oahu issue as a neighbor island issue compounded by the fact that there is a teacher shortage nationwide. Therefore, I am writing in support of continued funding for Teach for America as an organization to provide us with a supply of good teachers. I am writing in support of Teach for America (TFA) continuing presence in our schools, especially on the Big Island and in particular, Kona schools. The Department of Education has not been able to recruit a large enough teacher applicant pool for me to hire from. Four years ago, I hired my first three Teach for America applicants and I have not regretted that decision. I understand that you cannot build sustainability at a school, if all your applicants are from Teach for America. You can build sustainability if the majority of year teachers come through traditional institutions of higher learning and you have a few Teach for America applicants. Having Teach for America applicants is mutually beneficial for the school and the applicant. They have a formal commitment to stay for 2 years. TFA applicants are well vetted. They are extremely intelligent, hardworking and accustomed to succeeding. They have enthusiasm and are not afraid to do more than everyone else. They are also very well supported by TFA staff as they work on becoming excellent teachers. I have learned that if administrators and teachers at the school embrace these young, enthusiastic applicants who want to do a good job and to make a difference for students, good things happen at the school. Our obligation is to develop them and to provide them with opportunities to learn, grow and take on leadership roles in the school. Our challenge is to find ways to retain them at our schools. To date, I have worked with a total of 7 Teach for America applicants or alumni. Currently, at Konawaena Elementary School, we have 2 TFA alumni that have been teaching for 4 years (and are "BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE" AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER still teaching), 2 TFA alumni that taught for 3 years before pursuing other options, 1 TFA that came from another West Hawaii school to help us for the year, and 1 TFA that is currently in her second year at our school. The one that is in her second year, is "homegrown". She was raised in Kona and graduated from a high school in Kona. My prediction is that and if she finds her niche as a teacher, she will make educationher career. Hawaii Teach For America's new strategic plan is to focus on recruiting "homegrown" applicants. This will give them a much higher retention average. TFA has the capability of recruiting excellent candidates nationwide and the ability to support their growth as teachers once they are hired into Hawaii schools. I see this as being beneficial to Hawaii schools. If these applicants come home, they may stay. Even, if they transfer to other parts of the island or the state, they will still be in our Department of Education system. In Kona, being a teacher is one of the highest paying and respected jobs an individual can get. As the principal, my challenge is for retain these bright, enthusiastic TFA alumni. They truly want to improve education and will work hard to learn the science and craft of being a good teacher. They come well vetted to us and they have leadership potential. Many were student government officers in high school and in college. I see them as being potential pipeline for the Department of Education to tap as our future school leaders. I encourage my TFA alumni to stay in Hawaii and if they are interested and have the aptitude, to pursue leadership positions in the school and within our Department of Education system. I believe that the TFA is a viable organization to supply the State of Hawaii with good teacher candidates. The TFA applicants' obligation is to stay for 2 years, however, with the right mentoring by TFA and the schools, I believe we can get them (homegrown and mainland TFA applicants) to become permanent employees that will do a good job for us in their capacity as teachers or future school leaders. Human Resources to continue supporting TFA to helpneighbor island schools I encourage the Office of pp 9 g g recruit good teachers by continuing to fund and support TFA. I believe the more avenues we use to recruit and retain good teachers, the stronger our schools will be. I believe that TFA has the capability to recruit and mentor good homegrown teachers that will stay in our schools. With mainland applicants, we always run the risk of their returning to the mainland after a few years. I prefer to invest my time and effort in local kids with the opportunity for convincing to make teaching a career. s• 7 laire L. Y. ida/ Principal 11 Konawaena Elementary 81-901 Onouli Road Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750 Phone: 323-4555 Fax: 323-4551 "BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE" AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 4P s90 w1: eil 'S!" 4 STATE OF HAWAI'I DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION KA'U HIGH&PAHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL P.O.BOX 100 PAHALA HAWAII 96777 TELEPHONE:(808)313-4100 FAX:(808)928-2092 October 6,2015 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in support of a continued partnership between the State of Hawaii Department of Education and Teach For America. For the past 5 years, we have been fortunate to have a number of Teach for America teachers at our school. Ka'u High and Pahala Elementary is a rural K-12 school,designated as"hard to staff." Each year,we have a teacher turnover of approximately 20% and struggle to fill vacant positions with Highly Qualified teachers. Our turnover is often a result of teachers leaving our school for positions closer to home and without the 100 miles of daily commute. For the past 5 years, Teach for America(TFA) has provided our school with hard-working and enthusiastic individuals who receive high quality on-the-job training and support. These Teach for America teachers work on obtaining their teaching licenses to become Highly Qualified teachers while maintaining their full-time positions. The TFA teachers are an asset to our school and community and bring passion and energy to their classrooms. In addition to participating in our complex areas Induction and Mentoring program for new teachers, all TFA teachers are mentored through the TFA program. Prior to Teach for America, I participated in the state's teacher recruiting program with Marist College. While there,I attended hiring fairs at the college and hotel,interviewing a number of applicants. None of the applicants, however,were interested in moving to the island of Hawai'i or the rural area of Ka'u. Our TFA teachers are contributing members of our school community. Many of them volunteer during after-school hours to coach middle and high school athletics,coordinate after school programs, and establish clubs, such as Youth in Government Club Currently,we are working with our fourth cohort of Teach for America teachers. TFA teachers are committed for two years and while it would be great to have them longer,I appreciate the fact that they are able to fill positions that would otherwise be filled with non-highly qualified AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER individuals. Without Teach for America teachers,I would have a high number of unfilled positions and classes without Highly Qualified individuals. A continued partnership between Hawaii State Department of Education and Teach for America is critical to ensuring our students have enthusiastic and qualified individuals leading their classrooms. Please consider continued funding for the Teach for America program. Ka'u High and Pahala Elementary School's students deserve to have qualified individuals teaching them. Sincerely, Sharon Beck, Principal • AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER DAVID Y. IGE Bw fc:"" KATHRYN S. MATAYOSHI NSUPERINTENDENT GOVERNOR ARTHUR F. SOUZA COMPLEX AREA SUPERINTENDENT STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF THE COMPLEX AREA SUPERINTENDENT WEST HAWAII COMPLEX AREA OFFICE 75-140 HUALALAI ROAD KAILUA KONA,HAWAII 96740-3723 September 25,2015 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to express my extreme satisfaction and support for the Teach For America(TFA)program. West Hawaii Complex has been hiring TFA corps members since 2009 and is thrilled to boast a total of nearly 100 current corps members and 20 alumni. These fine TFA corps members share not only their skills and knowledge, but also their enthusiasm with our staff and students. Day after day,they bring energy,commitment, and most importantly passion to our school climate. Without intention,these fine Teach For America teachers have definitely "raised the bar'for all teachers in the West Hawaii Complex,both new and seasoned. First and foremost,TFA corps members provide a necessary boon to our hiring pool by providing enthusiastic, achievement-oriented individuals who are eager to teach in our hard-to-staff positions. Particularly in Special Education,our TFA corps members have demonstrated acute skill in organization and data tracking,which has allowed us to meet our documentation requirements as well as advance students to meeting their academic goals. Outside of simply filling hard-to-staff positions, I am always amazed to witness these young, hard-working individuals demonstrate diligence, leadership and a collaborative spirit in every aspect of their professional roles. Our corps members are reflective and are always searching for ways to improve their practice. The desire to have a significant impact on students' lives is evident by the many extra hours each has given before,during, and after school hours. They regularly take on leadership positions, extra-curricular advising as well as contributing meaningfully during our regular content and grade level meetings, and as active members of our teacher leader and Instructional Leadership Teams. This demonstration of leadership in formal and informal settings speaks to another much-needed benefit of our partnership with TFA:the opportunity to develop long-term educational leaders in Hawaii. We often struggle to recruit experienced,talented educational leaders with a deep knowledge of the Hawaii context and we look to our TFA alumni to fill that need. They have an orientation towards excellence, accountability,and constant improvement—necessary mindsets for a successful administrator in an improving school. We hope to continue our partnership with TFA because we see it as an investment in the future educational leadership in Hawaii. On a personal note, I have been touched by the way in which our TFA corps members have established meaningful relationships with our students as well as our families and community. I am deeply grateful to the Teach For America program and I am hoping to continue increasing the number of TFA corps members in the West Hawaii Complex. Sincerely, avt7/5 _____ Arthur F. Souz Complex Area Superintendent Telephone: (808) 327-4991 • Fax: (808) 327-4994 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER �� *� i KonawaenaHighSchool Shawn S. Suzuki Principal P4.4- 81-1043 Konawaena School Road tegoerul " Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750 Diane Spencer `,�, Vice Principal • Ph. 808-323-4500 Home of the FAX 808-323-4515 Bill Athletic Director Wildcats September 16, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: The Administrative Team of Konawaena High School is writing to ask that the Hawaii Department of Education continue funding the Teach For America (TFA) program/initiative. We believe funding for this program is imperative, For Konawaena High School, TFA teachers have made a noticeably positive Impact on our students, staff and school community. It is not easy to find caring, willing, and competent teachers to fill all positions at a semi-rural neighbor island high school. We have been fortunate to have found Teach For America and since, have been able to address this and other staffing challenges. Our first TFA hire, Allison Serina, is an enviably competent math teacher. Attie remains on our staff, continuing to expanding her role even after her two year commitment had been satisfied. She is a teacher leader having developed the curriculum for our first ACT prep course and continues to bring new and innovative teaching ideas to the entire staff. Students love her and most importantly (as our ACT scores indicate) she is able to get them to understand and relate to the subject. Last year we were able to hire Mr. David Wild. David Is making huge progress with some of our special education students. He's voluntarily completed College Board AP training and is certified as an AP Calculus teacher. As an active triathlete, David hustled sponsors and started our school's Triathlon Club in addition to filling our BIIF cross country team roster. Karla "Viv" Martinez is our second year ELL coordinator. Viv is Spanish speaking and has a heart for those struggling to learn a second language. She is dogged in her preparation and personal learning and has started a computerized program for our ELL students. As an active member of our Language Arts PLC, Viv has also revamped the way our school teaches Elis. As for the organization, Teach For America expects their teachers to incorporate what they've learned from their program/supervision, university course work, and life experiences into their teaching- an expectation that is not always as easy to mandate of traditional hires. TFA, as a condition of employment/participation, expects their teachers to learn and become part of their school community. It shows in their willingness to go the extra in supporting school and community endeavors. Our experience has been that this sort of commitment extends to the organization's leadership as the TFA Managing Director for Hawaii Island also sits on a local SCC. As such, we do not believe that discontinuing support should be based on things like "they are only going to be here for two years." As a school we invest in them and their development. As administrators we work closely with the TFA coaches and support staff. TFA teachers are required as a condition of participation (and as part of the organization's contract with the State) to attend monthly professional development workshops, have quarterly data conferences, and monthly coaching observations and debriefs. We collaborate and provide support. Sure this type of investment may make a difference in a teacher's decision to stay, but whatever the individual decides we feel giving to them like they are giving to us is a must and is just good for kids, period. To request interpreter or translation services for this or any document, please call the student services coordinator or school principal at 323-4500. Achievement, Character, Success for Life We have hired three more TFA teachers this year. Our hope is that with their dedication,enthusiasm and new perspectives on education they will continue to have a positive effect on our students, departments,school,and community. The energy and excitement our TFA teachers have brought to our school is contagious. We would also like to extend an open invitation to anyone who would like to visit Konawaena High School and any of our TFA classrooms to see for themselves what we are trying hard to convey. We implore you to continue funding TFA as an option for hard to staff districts. It's imperative. It's worth it. We need them. They make a difference. Thank you for your consideration. / , Shawn S.Suzuki, Principal Diane B.Spencer,Vi a Principal