Susan Essoyan
Star-Advertiser
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Past articles by Susan:
Treatment facility opens for sexually exploited girls in Hawaii
The list of major donors goes on and on, stretching across a long wall inside Pearl Haven: more than 500 names of individuals, companies, charities and service groups. → Read More
New Hawaii teachers’ union leader Osa Tui Jr. has a different approach to job
Corey Rosenlee, the outgoing president of the teachers’ union, has been an outspoken, assertive and activist leader, eager to take a stand and do battle on behalf of his members. → Read More
Trailblazing principal Keith Hayashi is selected to lead Hawaii’s public schools
Keith Hayashi, the pace-setting principal of Waipahu High School who is credited with raising public education to new heights, will take the reins as interim superintendent of public schools Aug. 1. → Read More
Leeward Community College’s teacher education program gets national recognition
Leeward Community College is trying to tackle the teacher shortage by offering flexible, affordable paths into the profession that are designed for Hawaii’s working people. → Read More
University of Hawaii students get 2nd place in national rocketry contest
On a hot, windy afternoon in the Mojave Desert, University of Hawaii-Manoa students hoisted their 15-foot rocket into position for blastoff, the last team to launch in the competition. → Read More
Free training helps Hawaii residents land recession-resistant jobs
Still out of work or underemployed? Hana Career Pathways is offering up to $2,000 in tuition aid to help Hawaii residents shift into stable careers in health care, technology and the skilled trades. → Read More
University of Hawaii at Manoa demolishes outdated Snyder Hall as it modernizes
Wrecking crews took aim Friday at Snyder Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, using a towering excavator to claw apart the five-story building that once housed pioneering science labs. → Read More
One in 10 Hawaii public school classrooms need better ventilation
Hawaii’s public schools plan to reopen fully Aug. 3 for in-person classes with 3-foot spacing among students and teachers in classrooms, although ventilation still needs to be improved in some spots. → Read More
Punahou School to host ‘Festival of Ideas,’ free to public
Punahou School is opening its first “Festival of Ideas” to the public, with panels and workshops that aim to spur innovation and entrepreneurship in Hawaii. → Read More
Online map helps Hawaii parents find summer learning programs for their kids
Parents looking for summer learning programs to help children rebound from the pandemic can explore options through an interactive website created by the Hawaii Afterschool Alliance. → Read More
Waipahu High School Principal Keith Hayashi recommended as interim superintendent
A Board of Education committee is unanimously recommending that Waipahu High School Principal Keith Hayashi become interim superintendent after Superintendent Christina Kishimoto steps down July 31. → Read More
Hawaii teachers’ $2,200 bonuses may be in jeopardy
The governor is under pressure to veto the $2,200 bonuses that legislators voted to give every public school teacher, but hefty pay “differentials” for classroom teachers in shortage areas are on track for next year. → Read More
Waipahu High student, Taylor Fukunaga, elected to represent 263 collegiate honor societies
Taylor Fukunaga’s got game. The 17-year-old plays softball for Waipahu High School, teaches kempo karate and dances her heart out on the school’s competitive hip-hop dance team. → Read More
Legislature cuts University of Hawaii-Manoa’s operating budget by nearly 14%
Legislators have chopped the general funds operating budget for the University of Hawaii at Manoa by 13.8% for the fiscal year that starts July 1, a major blow that will be hard to absorb. → Read More
Molokai school’s librarian, Diane Mokuau, wins national honor
A resourceful librarian on the remote, rural island of Molokai has won national acclaim as 2021 School Librarian of the Year for her work to engage teens and enhance the trajectory of their lives. → Read More
Hawaii’s prekindergarten classes lauded for quality not quantity
Hawaii’s public prekindergarten program got top marks for quality in a new national report, one of only six states to do so, but ranked near the bottom for how many 4-year-olds it reaches. → Read More
Family of drowned 5-year-old boy settles case against Mid-Pacific Institute for $7.2 million
The family of a 5-year-old boy who drowned on a Mid-Pacific Institute field trip has reached a settlement with the school for $7.26 million, an amount that attorneys believe sets a record. → Read More
Hawaii public schools to offer free summer school
More than 230 public schools across the state will offer summer “learning hubs” on campus to help students who need to catch up or reengage with school after a tumultuous year. → Read More
Kids back full time at nearly 40% of Hawaii’s public elementary schools
Nearly 4 in 10 public elementary schools have welcomed back all students who want daily in-person classes, and the rest have kids on campus at least some days, as do virtually all secondary schools. → Read More
Home schooling rates soar during pandemic in Hawaii and nationally
Nearly twice as many families in Hawaii decided to home-school their children this academic year as last year, according to new data from public schools and the Census Bureau. → Read More