Kakaako charter school The recent resignation of the principal hired to open a Kakaako charter school has left some concerned, yet hopeful, about the school's future.
faces big changes
A counterpart on the Big Island
wrestles with a court challengeBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comVicki Draeger left the school on Oct. 26, less than three months after the start of the school year.
"I'm optimistic that we can overcome. I guess there's something really special here and that's what all our parents know," said Shawnja Yamaguchi, parent of a student at Voyager school.
Changes at Voyager come as a Big Island charter school goes to court today to fight to stay alive.
"We're asking the court to preserve the status quo," said Hilo attorney Ted Hong, who represents Waters of Life public charter school.
Charter schools in Hawaii are publicly funded schools that are free from most laws and regulations except collective-bargaining, health and safety, discrimination and federal policies. Schools are held accountable for student performance and money through a contract or charter with the state.
Charter school proponents said the freedom from bureaucratic regulations allows for innovation in education that traditional public schools can copy. A 1999 law allowed for up to 25 charter schools, a figure that included start-up schools.
Each charter school is run by a local school board.
It was Voyager's local school board that hired Draeger as principal and chief executive officer.
Draeger had previous experience in starting up new schools and she became the face of Voyager. She also was the reason why teachers signed on to work there and parents bought into the program for their children.
"She gave parents the confidence that the charter school had a great chance of being successful and that's what she brought to the table," Yamaguchi said.
A struggle with the board led Draeger to submit her resignation on Sept. 25. Parents were shocked to learn about the resignation through a letter from the board.
Many of them did not want Draeger to go.
"It's like the CEO leaving after the company started. You wanted to have that expertise because it's going to increase the odds of success," Yamaguchi said.
Parents at a meeting on Oct. 1 urged the board and Draeger to enter into mediation with the board to resolve differences but mediation failed and Draeger left Oct. 26.
The Voyager board is in the process of hiring an interim and permanent principal.
Draeger and Voyager board chairman Jim Williams could not be reached for comment Friday.
In a recent letter to parents and staff, Draeger said, "There has been a breakdown of trust on both sides that seems beyond redemption."
Her letter also recommended changes in the make-up of the school board and revisions to the current budget to offset an anticipated shortfall.
Meanwhile, Big Island Circuit Judge Riki May Amano is scheduled to hear a request by Waters of Life for a court order to prevent the Department of Education from attempting to cut off payroll for teachers and staff before the merits of a lawsuit filed by the state are heard by the court Nov. 14, Hong said.
The state Attorney General has filed a lawsuit seeking to close Waters of Life, alleging the school is in violation of health and safety regulations and is in the red $170,000. If the lawsuit is successful, Waters of Life would be the first charter school in Hawaii to close.
Hong said that Waters of Life is contesting the allegations in the main lawsuit and wants to maintain the status quo until it has its day in court. In the meantime, the school is banding together to raise funds.
The pending Waters of Life case makes some in the charter school community -- including some at Voyager -- nervous. But Momi Durand, a parent representative on the Voyager school board, said the controversy over Draeger's resignation has made the school -- and especially parents -- much stronger and more cohesive.
As a result, parents and teachers have a greater voice on Voyager's board with each group now having two more representatives on the board, for a total of four each.
"It's 100 percent brighter," Durand said. "I'm not afraid of losing our charter."