Part VI: Governance

Governing Documents: Documents guiding the governance of IPCS include, but are not limited to, Acts 62 and 187, Hawaii Revised Statutes, 1999; this Implementation Plan (IP), including its references; the charter to be issued; union contracts (as may be modified) between the HSTA, HGEA, and UPW, the State and County of Hawaii, and the LSB; federal statutes pertaining to education; federal and state health and safety laws and regulations; and contracts and Memoranda of Agreements that may from time to time be established between the school and other agencies and entities.

Local School Board: The governance of the School shall be the sole province of the Innovations Public Charter School Local School Board (LSB), which shall provide authority on matters related to the operation of the school, including but not limited to fiscal, curricular, and operating procedures. Actions of the LSB shall be subject to applicable federal and state law and the school's charter contract with the State Board of Education. The LSB will empower the school's staff to execute the daily operations of the school and to develop innovative programs, examine issues of educational leadership and of progress toward meeting the stated goals of the charter contract.

The Board will be comprised of one representative and one alternate from support staff and community at-large; two representatives and two alternates from instructional staff and parents of students attending the school; one Teacher/Director; and one student representative and one alternate (non-voting).

The support staff members will select the support staff representative and alternate; the community at-large member and alternate will be appointed by the Local School Board; the instructional staff will select the two instructional staff representatives and alternates; the parents of students attending the school will elect two parent representative and two alternates; and the students attending IPCS will elect one student representative and one alternate. Each should demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for the culture and norms of IPCS and alignment with its mission and goals. In addition, Board members must agree to abide by the School Board Code of Ethics. Each of the above constituent groups shall select or appoint representatives per the Bylaws. The teaching staff will nominate the Teacher/Director, with approval of the LSB.

General Responsibilities of the Board may include but are not limited to:

• Ratifying the school's mission statement, and any modifications thereto;
• Approving any management, operational, or service contracts in excess of $1000;
• Reviewing assessment measures and performance criteria;
• Providing ongoing support and oversight of the academic program and performance of the school;
• Approving admission policies for the school;
• Setting personnel policies, including: approving school work times, determining staffing needs, establishing qualification criteria, approval of new hires, approving codes of conduct, forming dismissal procedures, and authorizing and approving collective negotiations;
• Hearing appeals on student disciplinary and special education matters;
• Hearing complaints from any individual or group alleging any violation of the provisions of the Charter Schools Act, the charter itself, or any other provision of law relating to the management or operation of the charter school; and
• Providing necessary and proper oversight of all financial aspects of the charter school.

Point of Contact: Interim Board Chair -Barbara Woerner can be reached via e-mail: Barbara_Woerner@notes.k12.hi.us

Note that pursuant to the charter law and the Bylaws of the organization, the Teacher/Director does not have complete authority over all school matters; that power rests solely with the entire Local School Board.

IPCS Administration: IPCS will be managed by a Teacher/Director, assisted by a Business Manager and an Administrative Assistant. The staff will elect and the Board will approve a Teacher/Director for a two-year renewable term. The Business Manager will be selected by the Teacher/Director and approved by the Board. The school staff shall carry out the day-to-day administration of the school in a collaborative manner. Responsibilities of the Business Manager, Teacher/Director, and Administrative Assistant are as follows.

Teacher /Director: In addition to teaching responsibilities, the teacher/director will be in charge of the following:

• Leadership in the development and implementation of curriculum
• Directing and monitoring staff and the division of responsibilities amongst the staff in compliance with board policies and procedures
• Oversees student assessment and school accountability
• Staff evaluation report to the LSB annually
• Oversee recruitment and admissions procedures
• Oversee the work of the Business Manager and Administrative Assistant
• Liaison between the LSB and the school community

As part of the IPCS planning phase, the Interim School Board along with the existing IPCS staff will continue to review and update existing policies and procedures that support a collaborative process of management for a teacher-directed school.

The Business Manager: Under the supervision of the T/D, the Business Manager will:

• Take care of procurements and keep account of expenditures and allocations
• Coordinate all personnel matters which include the hiring of staff, leaves, payroll, certifications, etc.
• Draft fiscal and accountability reports and prepare for annual audit
• Develop tentative budgets for the T/D
• Complete a fiscal report
• Oversee health and safety requirements
• Coordinate the development of school policies and procedures
• Liaison between IPCS and state agencies and unions

Administrative Assistant: The Administrative Assistant will carry out tasks to assist the Teacher/Director and Business Manager. The Administrative Assistant will perform tasks usually done by a school SASA.

The applicant group, the Interim Board, consists of Hawai'i public school teachers, a private school principal, parents and community members. The teaching staff is strong in elementary curriculum, grant writing and project implementation. Members of the group have expertise in technology, science, social studies, math, reading, gifted and special education, and school administration. The Interim Board members have all worked with elementary school students and offer a variety of resources which will enrich the development of the school and its curriculum. Collectively the group possesses the organizational, managerial, financial, pedagogical, legal, facilitation and conflict resolution skills necessary to open a public charter school.

The proposed teaching staff, licensed and employed by the Hawai'i Department of Education,consists of:

Bini Easley: BS in Elementary Education and Special Education; currently Kahakai 4th grade teacher. Mrs. Easley has been a teacher for 32 years and was last year's recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Elementary Science. She has developed a successful remedial reading program for at-risk students and has experience in project-based learning. She is involved in community activities as a tutor, a coach, and was actively involved with Special Olympics. She has served on several boards and was the West Hawai'i Boxing Commissioner. Expertise includes organizational, financial, and pedagogical skills.

Tracy N. Foyle: BA in Elementary Education; former Kahakai 3rd grade teacher; currently serving as school counselor. Mrs. Foyle has received special training in working with multiple age groups, and has experience as a School-to-Work Project Coordinator. She works with the Hawai'i Future Flight Summer Program. Currently she is the secretary of the Kona Heights Homeowners Association, and works as a tutor for "latch key" children. Expertise includes organizational, pedagogical, and conflict resolution skills.

Jennifer Hiro: BA in Elementary Education and an MA in education; currently Kahakai 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Hiro has been teaching for 8 years and has worked as a classroom teacher and as resource for Kahakai staff. She has in-depth experience as a Reading Intervention Facilitator, Title I Coordinator and is currently receiving training in First Steps Language Arts Program. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, financial, facilitation and pedagogical.

Kathleen Mika: BA in Education; currently Kahakai Technology Integration Coordinator. Before moving into a resource position, Mrs. Mika taught third grade. Her current work and focus includes technology and telecommunications education. She worked as an NCREL Technology Facilitator and has developed and conducted staff development courses for TLCF. She served as Chair for West Hawai'i`i Teacher Institute Day. Expertise includes managerial, pedagogical, and facilitation.

Barbara Woerner: BA in English and an MA in Gifted and Talented Education; currently Kahakai Technology Coordinator and Gifted and Talented teacher. Mrs. Woerner has taught for 30 years and has served as Kahakai's Technology Coordinator for the past 12 years. Her experiences include working as an NCREL Technology Facilitator, TLCF Staff Development Coordinator, T3 Mentor and Tech Corps Community Service Mentor. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, financial and pedagogical skills.

Sandra Dorian: BA in Education and an MA in Administration; former Kahakai Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher currently on leave. Mrs. Dorian has been a Special Education and Gifted and Talented Teacher and Artist for 25 years. Expertise includes managerial, pedagogical, and facilitation.

Interim Board Members:

Gordan Bryson: Principal, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy Upper School (high school). Mr. Bryson has an extensive background in education and management. Awards include English Teacher of the Year - State of Hawai'i (1986), Ellbogen Meritorious Teaching Award (1998). Experiences include project coordinator for Big Island Writing Project; speaker and presenter for the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Library Association and the "Let's Talk About IT" project; accreditation team for Western States' Accreditation Board for public and private schools. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, financial, pedagogical, legal, facilitation and conflict resolution skills.

Clarissa Matsumoto: Kahakai parent, First Vice President of Kahakai Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and serves as the parent representative on the Kahakai School Community Based Management (SCBM) Council. She is also the West Hawai'i`i Travel Coordinator for Kamehameha Schools. Mrs. Matsumoto's interest in serving on the board is to provide alternative opportunities for students who would benefit from Innovation's program. As a PTO officer and SCBM representative, Mrs. Matsumoto will act as liaison between Innovation's staff and the parents. Expertise includes organizational and financial skills.

Sara Peck : University of Hawai'i`i Sea Grant Extension Agent, West Hawai'i`i Community Based Marine Resource Management and Public Outreach Education. Ms. Peck brings Innovations a strong background in curriculum development and implementation. She offers insights into partnerships and resources in the marine-science field of study. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, and legal skills.

Cherokee Shaner: President &endash; Society for Kona's Education and Art (SKEA). Ms. Shaner has taught in public schools for 24 years and leads efforts to bring the arts into West Hawai'i schools with professional artists, writers, poets, and journalists. Her understanding of elementary curriculum and interest in the arts will provide an excellent resource for mentors and programs for Innovation students. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, financial, and pedagogical skills.

Carol Warner: Program Director of the Children's Advocacy Center of West Hawai'i`i; former counselor at Kahakai. Mrs. Warner's expertise and relationship with the various West Hawai'i and Hawai'i State social service agencies will ensure that Innovation students and their families will be provided with the help and care needed. Expertise includes organizational, managerial, legal, facilitation and conflict resolution skills.