Guest Contributor
John Thatcher
John Thatcher is a retired founder, teacher and principal at Connections PCS in Hilo. He is also the secretary of the Hawaiʻi Public Charter Schools Network and a member of the Native Hawaiian Education Council.
David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
Hawaiʻi’s Charter School Commission Needs Fundamental Restructuring
Legislative proposals suggest pooling resources and offering centralized support for complex operational and facility needs could address current flaws.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Should Look To New Orleans For Education Models
Rather than relying on a top-heavy state department to dictate operations, individual schools are granted full autonomy over their budgets, staffing, and curricula.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017
Hawaiʻi’s Charter Schools Just Dodged A Financial Bullet
Forcing the state to pay for religious charter schools would exacerbate the financial disparity that already exists between state-funded charter schools and the DOE schools.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
US Supreme Court Ruling On Charter Schools Could Impact Hawaiʻi
Does public funding of a religious school violate the establishment clause of state and federal constitutions?