Job Description: Po‘o Kula

Ke Kula ‘o Pi‘ilani is an independent Hawaiian school founded in 2016 with the purpose of providing a well-rounded education with equal focus on ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, mea Hawaiʻi, and academic rigor.  Education is delivered from a Hawaiian perspective and through a Hawaiian lens.

Mission:

Grounded in the language, values, and ‘ike of our kūpuna, Ke Kula ‘O Pi’ilani strives to inspire a lifelong love of learning by cultivating an enriching environment in which diverse students grow to be united, confident, globally competitive servant leaders who think critically and creatively to contribute to the betterment of Maui, Hawai‘i, and the world.

The mission of Ke Kula ‘O Pi‘ilani is carried out through the values of aloha, kuleana, and ‘imi ‘ike. These core values form the foundation of the organization and will guide us as we advance towards our ultimate goal of providing K-12 education.

The school year 2019-2020 is an important one for Ke Kula ‘O Pi‘ilani as it marks the beginning of a new phase in our growth.  In addition to welcoming a new class of papa mālaaʻo we will add papa ‘ehā. We also are embracing our 501(c)3 status and are looking for a Poʻo Kula interested in partnering with the Hui Hoʻokahua (Board of Directors) to ensure that the school thrives in perpetuity.


Position Overview:

The Poʻo Kula reports directly to the Hui Hoʻokahua and is the administrative leader at Ke Kula ‘O Piʻilani. The Poʻo will ultimately be responsible for manifesting the mission of the school and ensuring organizational health. These responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Perpetuating the mission of the organization

  • Organizing strategic planning on a regular basis and ensuring that both the strategic plan and daily operations align with the mission

  • Realizing the school’s accreditation and licensure

  • Guiding the school’s culture by embracing the core values of aloha, kuleana, and ‘imi ‘ike

  • Meeting the school’s financial goals

  • Guiding the growth of the school and the associated community programs

  • Direct supervision of Kumu, Kākoʻo, and cultural practitioners 

  • Striving for academic excellence by ensuring the creation of culturally relevant, place-based, ʻāina-based curriculum

  • Maintaining a professional, positive, fruitful relationship with the Hui Hoʻokahua. It is incumbent upon the Poʻo Kula to keep the Hui apprised of school operations and financial health

Employment Status: this is a full-time, at-will position. 

Overall Leadership Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Poʻo Kula are cumulative and involve organization-wide leadership. Areas of leadership include: strategic planning, internal management, community and ‘ohana partnerships and engagement, compliance, operations, and mission alignment.  It is expected that the Poʻo will:

  • Maintain good standing with regulatory boards

  • Recruit staff as needed and ensure a working environment that promotes personal and professional growth

  • Assess kumu, kako’o and practitioners on a semi-annual basis

  • Ensure accurate financial management and oversight so that expenses remain within the budget approved by the Hui Hoʻokahua

  • Apply for and manage grants;  reports on deliverables

  • Implement high quality, accurate, timely, and effective communication within the school community

  • Grow programs that enhance community engagement/participation at Ke Kula ‘O Piʻilani

  • Leverage expertise of the cultural practitioners and kumu already associated with the school

  • Build relationships and partnerships within our community to ensure excellence in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, mea Hawaiʻi, and academic rigor

  • Encourage and maintain engagement of ‘ohana

  • Ensure adherence to the mission through allegiance to aloha, kuleana, and ‘imi ‘ike

Other duties:

  • Setting the school calendar

  • Developing the student and ʻohana handbook

Work Hours: This is a full time, salaried position. It is estimated to be 40 hours per week. Office hours should mirror school hours (7:30-3:30) as much as possible. There will be occasional events outside of the usual school hours that will be required. 

Desired Qualifications:

An advanced degree in education or administrative leadership

At least 2 years of leadership experience, preferably in academia

Teaching experience and commitment to place-based, ʻāina-based learning 

Mastery of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi 

Depth of understanding of ‘ike kūpuna

Expertise in cultural curriculum development

Experience in managing and growing staff

Embodiment of aloha, kuleana, and ‘imi ‘ike both professionally and personally

NOTE:  The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this classification. It is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory, or all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job. Management has the right to add to, revise, or delete information in this description.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Interested Applicants:

To apply for the Po‘o Kula position, submit a curriculum vitae and statement of interest to piilani.admissions@gmail.com. Contact Kim Thayer at (808)281-4917 for questions.