Civil Beat Staff

Cassie Ordonio

Cassie Ordonio was a reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat. She joined the news organization as an intern in 2021, having previously interned at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for a year, covering the Legislature, social issues, education and more.

She also reported for San Francisco-based newspapers El Tecolote, 48 Hills, Ingleside Light and Castro Courier.

Cassie, of Filipino and Chamorro descent, was born and raised in California. She recently graduated from the University of Hawaii Manoa with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Pacific Islands studies.

Along with working for Civil Beat, she is also one of 22 fellows for AAJA Voices, a mentorship program that aims to increase diversity in journalism while providing mentors from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN to train them.

When she’s not working, she’s on a desperate search for some good horchata or simply trying to keep her house plants alive.

Hawaii Student Recovery From Pandemic Learning Loss ‘Exceptional’ Analysis Finds Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii Student Recovery From Pandemic Learning Loss ‘Exceptional’ Analysis Finds

Recovery of Math skills was going to take longer compared to other subject areas.

Hawaii BOE Approves Potential Salary Boost For Some Superintendents Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii BOE Approves Potential Salary Boost For Some Superintendents

The committee deferred similar pay adjustments for other top executive positions.

Teacher Housing Has Only Been In Rural Areas, But That Could Change Ku’u Kauanoe/Civil Beat/2019

Teacher Housing Has Only Been In Rural Areas, But That Could Change

Proposed legislation would fund a pilot program with locations in urban Oahu.

Ua Pupū Ka Hoʻolālā ʻAna No Nā Papa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Ma Nā Kula David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Ua Pupū Ka Hoʻolālā ʻAna No Nā Papa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Ma Nā Kula

Hoʻāpono ka hapanui o nā kumu a me nā mākua i ka hoʻolaha ʻana i ke aʻo ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻana, i loko nō o ka ʻike ʻana i nā hihia ma ka hoʻokō ʻana. 

Here’s What Hawaii Can Learn  From Other States About Universal Preschool Suevon Lee/Civil Beat/2017

Here’s What Hawaii Can Learn From Other States About Universal Preschool

Half a dozen states have universal pre-K programs, but their features vary widely.

Report: Teacher Turnover Increases In Hawaii Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Report: Teacher Turnover Increases In Hawaii

Teachers leaving public school mostly identified their work environment and student behavior as reasons.

New Punahou Program Mixes In Hip-Hop To Get Hawaii’s Students Active In Civics David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

New Punahou Program Mixes In Hip-Hop To Get Hawaii’s Students Active In Civics

The details of how the initiative will be rolled out in the state's public schools are still being ironed out.