Kellogg awards $500,000 grant for coordinated education system

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

A $500,000 planning grant has been awarded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the Hawai'i "P-20 Initiative."

The initiative brings together the Good Beginnings Alliance, the Department of Education and the University of Hawai'i to create a seamless state education system stretching from preschool through college and beyond.

The money was awarded to the UH Foundation and is the beginning of a financial commitment by one of the nation's premiere philanthropic foundations to enhance cooperation among the three partners in the state's public education system.

Hawai'i's public educators this year announced their support of a coordinated system that would, among other things: create a cadre of 250 new teachers annually; provide support systems to retain teachers in the classroom; expand the DOE system of learning centers; expand preschools to underserved children; and better prepare all children for the future.

The business community, represented by the Hawai'i Business Roundtable, is also behind the partnership.

It's this kind of unified effort and support that impressed Kellogg.

"Right now there are many gaps in the three major educational systems," said Gail McClure, Kellogg Foundation vice president for programs. "We believe this partnership ... fully engaged with the communities they serve, can work together so that no child falls through the gaps. The result can be greater achievement for all youth, especially those most vulnerable to failure."

UH President Evan Dobelle said the grant "recognizes the importance of innovation and collaboration" in changing the state's educational landscape.

"When we stop looking to place blame and start communicating about the future of our children, the magnitude of our mission is clear," he said. "Together we can achieve it."

DOE Superintendent Pat Hamamoto was enthusiastic that the grant provides a "stamp of approval" for the merits of the new initiative and offers Hawai'i "the potential for millions of dollars down the road" from the foundation.

"When you get a grant of this stature for this particular effort, people stop and look and say 'Wow, what's there that has substance and merit that Kellogg said is worth putting money behind,'" said Hamamoto. "It will allow us to ... get things done and ... open doors to attract other supporters."

Hamamoto said one of her top priorities is strengthening the linkages that promote transition from high school to college and from preschool to kindergarten to reduce remedial education as much as possible.

Of the 30,000 or so 3- and 4-year-olds in Hawai'i, about 8,000 have had little or no preschool experience by the time they start kindergarten, and most of those children come from low-income families, according to statistics from the Hawai'i Parent Teacher Student Association. Remedial education has also been a high-cost issue at the college level, with community colleges, especially, running scores of remedial sections every year.

There is no mention yet of a total commitment from the foundation, but educators say that once Kellogg chooses to invest in a project, the foundation follows through with additional money to put plans into effect.