Aloha! When people think of Hawai’i they think of beaches and paradise. They rarely see the stark inequities our students and communities face. Hawai’i consistently ranks near the bottom in student achievement nationwide. Last year Hawai’i was ranked 46th in the country for eighth grade math scores, with similarly low results in reading. With private schools that rank among the top in the country, the disparity between low-income and high-income communities is unacceptable.

Despite clear challenges, Hawai’i schools are making progress. Corps members and alumni are active in their school communities, and are making a significant academic impact. One example is Nick Courtney (Hawai'i Corps ’09), who teaches a special education basic physics class at Kealakehe High School. At the beginning of the 2009-10 year, Nick found that his students lacked prerequisite science skills and that many of his students were very behind in their literacy skills, with several reading on an early elementary level. Nick set the goal that his class would average at least 80% mastery on prioritized physics standards, and planned lessons that would grab his students' attention and build their confidence. After a year of hard work, his class achieved an average of 83% attainment on rigorous unit assessments. In addition to the work he has done in the classroom, Nick also co-founded a slam poetry group with Eleese Dorsey (Hawai’i ’09) that has performed publicly multiple times, sometimes drawing crowds of over 100 people. 

As a recipient of the competitive Race to the Top award, there is unprecedented focus and energy around education reform in the region. It’s truly an exciting time to live and work in Hawai’i.