Oahu Event: New Directions in Education

presented by the Grassroot Institute

• Dr Kelii Akina PhD, President Grassroot Institute
• Karen Grey, Education Researcher at Nevada Policy Research Institute
• Alex Teece, Co-Founder, DreamHouse 'Ewa Beach Charter School

Students in Hawaii have few options when it comes to school choice. But a new policy known as Education Savings Accounts may help parents save money for their child's K-College education.

Former Hawaii native Karen Gray helped to pass an innovative school reform in Nevada, which may help more parents and children find access to quality education.

Alex Teece is also a supporter of diverse educational options for students and families. He is part of a team that founded a newly approved charter school known as "DreamHouse 'Ewa Beach". Alex will give his perspective on ways to increase educational opportunity in Hawaii.

OAHU

• Friday, September 15, 2017
• 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
• The Pacific Club, downtown Honolulu
• LINK >>> Buy Tickets 

MAUI

• Saturday, September 16, 2017
• 6:30 PM
• J. Walter Cameron Center, 95 Mahalani St, Wailuku, HI 96793
• LINK >>> BUY TICKETS  

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Members of the founding team and their ohana on the day of state approval to open DreamHouse.

UH College of Education doctoral student co-founds new charter school

UH News  Aug 25, 2017

DreamHouse 'Ewa Beach Charter School will open its doors in July 2018. Offering families another option at the secondary level, the school will start with 6th grade and add one grade each year. With a founding team comprised largely of UH Mānoa College of Education (COE) alumni, professors and doctoral students, DreamHouse plans to become a 6th to 12th grade school of 700 students by the 2024–25 school year.   

In 2012, a group educators began a “listening and partnership tour” that brought parents, children, teachers and elected officials together to talk about public education. From this, a question arose:  If we were to build a school from scratch, how would we do it and what would we do? Community members continued the discussion over the next two years, and the recurring themes included identity, leadership, ownership and agency.

“Our parents want their children to know who they are and where they are from,” shared Alex Teece, DreamHouse Founder/Director and COE doctoral student. “Our families want them to also feel prepared and empowered about where they are going,”

Teece, who worked on the founding framework for ‛Ewa Makai Middle School with former Principal Ed Oshiro, explained that the DreamHouse team has a long history with public schools and caring deeply about the children in ‘Ewa Beach. Founding members have been teachers and educational leaders in ‘Ewa Beach public schools, as well as Campbell High and ‘Ilima Intermediate, since 2007.

Open to all students and families in Hawai‘i, the school will initially have five content area teachers, adding five to seven new staff members each year. They will also build partnerships with UH Mānoa and UH West O‘ahu to bring student teachers into their classrooms. Please contact DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach if you are interested in joining their team.

For more information, visit: https://coe.hawaii.edu/