Christina Kishimoto faced intense criticism from the teachers’ union and principals over what they said was a failure to present a clear strategy for dealing with the pandemic.

Christina Kishimoto has called criticism of her leadership style “a distraction,” saying she needs to focus on more important issues.

The guidance comes after several behind-the-scenes meetings involving the Department of Education and other state leaders.

Private pre-kindergarten programs have lost $7 million in tuition as fewer families send children to school, according to the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

The ceremonies must be held outdoors or in a place with “adequate ventilation” and adhere to other strict COVID-19 safety protocols.

Iolani School’s high teacher vaccination rate and plans to soon offer free coronavirus testing to students set it apart from public schools.

Hawaii is rethinking its teacher recruitment strategies, including virtual job fairs, but it’s a hard sell when even preexisting successful initiatives face a shaky future.

Christina Kishimoto said she’ll meet with state health officials and lawmakers Friday to discuss how best to proceed in light of new federal guidance.

The salary incentives were implemented last year to retain special education teachers and other hard-to-fill positions.