Top Teachers
Saturday, November 1, 1997
Name: Ernest Dela Cruz
Age: 55
Position: Principal, Wilcox Elementary
Education: Kansas State Teachers College; University of Nebraska-Omaha
Hobbies: Fishing, golf
Ernest Dela Cruz works with children because he likes "to see their eyes light up when they learn to read, or experience something different, or achieve the goals they set." The reward is in their eyes
Dela Cruz recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he was among 60 elementary school principals receiving a National Distinguished Principal award. He was picked by colleagues for his role in developing two innovative programs at Wilcox Elementary School.
At the Children's Day Transition Center, Kauai kids with violent behavior problems come to his school to work with special education teachers and counselors to learn to cope and transition back into mainstream classrooms. Normally, these kids would be sent to mainland boarding schools at taxpayer cost of more than $200,000 a child per year.
The program has up to eight students at a time. The counselors work with other Kauai schools to coach fellow teachers and administrators.
Dela Cruz has also developed an advanced technology program at Wilcox Elementary.
A pilot project with IBM in 1991 led to local computer networking for the school and Internet connections in every classroom.
The school is equipped with IBM and Macintosh computers and has a video-production studio.
Modest and humble, Dela Cruz will barely admit that the Kauai district is "pretty advanced" when it comes to school computing.
Trish Moore, Star-Bulletin
