http://www.civilbeat.comen-us© 2026 Civil BeatA podcast by Civil BeatHonolulu Civil BeatnoWhat happens when people take an idea for education that sounds great in theory, and try to make it work in a real class? Follow along as reporters track the first year of a new school in Hawaii and examine big education issues in America.What happens when people take an idea for education that sounds great in theory, and try to make it work in a real class? Follow along as reporters track the first year of a new school in Hawaii and examine big education issues in America.967474Patti Epleroffice@peernews.comHonolulu Civil Beat Kamalani Academy wrapped up a challenging inaugural year with an unexpected resignation. With the school year behind us, On Campus reflect on Kamalani Academy's inaugural year and an unexpected resignation. Despite efforts to build a culture of collaboration and belonging, the school faced a multitude of challenges with staff turnover and figuring out exactly how the school should be run. https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Ep.10-V2.mp3Fri, 03 Aug 2018 00:01:52 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatHere's what happens when kids do the podcast. Pomaikai Elementary students report from inside their Maui school.Pomaikai Elementary students report from inside their Maui school.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Pomaikai-Student-Podcasts.mp3Wed, 27 Jun 2018 00:01:01 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatCivil Beat visits Pomaikai Elementary, an arts integration school on Maui, to see why Kamalani Academy's founders used it as a model for their charter school.Civil Beat visits Pomaikai Elementary, an arts integration school on Maui, to see why Kamalani Academy's founders used it as a model for their charter school.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/On-Campus-Ep-8-Maui.mp3Mon, 28 May 2018 13:00:39 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatEfforts in Arkansas to close the achievement gap for Marshallese students could hold some valuable lessons for Kamalani.Kamalani’s founding vision focused on using Hawaiian culture as a way of connecting a very diverse student body, and closing achievement gaps in the classroom. But Kamalani staff have struggled this year with integrating Hawaiian culture into their classrooms, and connecting with kids from very different backgrounds. In this episode of On Campus, reporter Emily Dugdale travels 4,000 miles east of Hawaii to Springdale, Arkansas — a town with a pretty unexpected group of Pacific Islander immigrants. Springdale is a much whiter community than Wahiawa. But it could have some lessons on cultural representation that even a diverse school like Kamalani could learn from.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Springdale-V3.mp3Thu, 10 May 2018 12:30:56 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatKamalani Academy teachers talk about their journey to the classroom, and the triumphs and pitfalls of starting a new charter school.Hawaii teacher salaries are the lowest in the nation when adjusted for cost of living, according to a recent analysis by National Public Radio and the education nonprofit EdBuild. But there's a lot more to teacher satisfaction than pay. In Episode 6 of On Campus Kamalani Academy teachers talk about their journey to the classroom, and the triumphs and pitfalls of starting a new charter school. https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Episode-6-A-Teachers-Journey.mp3Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:01:10 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatKamalani Academy looks for ways to bolster school spirit before students head off for winter break, while school leaders grapple with retention issues behind the scenes.Kamalani Academy looks for ways to bolster school spirit before students head off for winter break — a time of year when student discipline and motivation can start to backslide. Winter break is also a chance for the school’s principal to take a “temperature check” on school morale. More than a dozen students have left Kamalani since the start of the school year, and Kamalani’s founder seeks advice from an outside source. https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/On-Campus-Episode-5-Temperature-Check.mp3Fri, 12 Jan 2018 00:01:04 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatKamalani Academy adopts a medieval school tradition made popular by Harry Potter to help teach Hawaiian values.Kamalani Academy adopts a medieval school tradition made popular by Harry Potter to help teach Hawaiian values.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/On-Campus-Episode-4-The-Four-Hales.mp3Thu, 30 Nov 2017 20:45:48 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatJoin Kamalani Academy on its first day of school and take a peek inside classrooms as students and teachers get to know each other.Join Kamalani Academy on its first day of school and take a peek inside classrooms as students and teachers get to know each other.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/On-Campus-Episode-3-The-First-Day.mp3Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:47:10 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatAs her new charter school, Kamalani Academy, prepares to open, school founder, Kuuipo Laumatia, take us on a walk through last-minute snafus and solutions.As her new charter school, Kamalani Academy, prepares to open, school founder, Kuuipo Laumatia, take us on a walk through last-minute snafus and solutions.https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/On-Campus-Episode-2-Getting-Ready.mp3Mon, 30 Oct 2017 15:28:06 -10000:00Honolulu Civil BeatWhen a Native Hawaiian mother of 10 decides the school system is failing her children, she decides to do something big — and pretty unexpected — to help children in her community succeed.This school year, Honolulu Civil Beat is following along behind the scenes as teachers and parents launch a brand new charter school in Hawaii. It’s going to be a story about education, but we suspect it will also end up being a story about community. About the challenges facing parents and kids and teachers in Hawaii today, and what happens when a group of people come together to try and overcome those challenges in a new and different way. In coming episodes you’ll sit in on teacher training, find out what goes into getting a charter approved, hear from sleep-deprived board members, and be there when the campus opens its doors. What happens the rest of the year — well, we’re going to have to find that out together. https://www.civilbeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/charter-school-draft4NEW_1-1.mp3Thu, 05 Oct 2017 00:01:09 -10000:00