#54 Kaʻōhao School | Keoki Fraser

In this episode of “The Charter School Connection Podcast” Dallan interviews Keoki Fraser, school director at Kaʻōhao School in Kailua Hawaii. This is a zero-waste mission focused K-6 charter school. is mission focused “The Kaʻōhao School Mission is to develop the whole child so they reach their full potential. Students are prepared to meet life’s challenges, become compassionate members of society, and stewards of the future.” Tune into this episode to learn more. Below are the time stamps for specific questions and a quick summary of the discussion. 1:02 - Dallan asks Keoki how he got involved in the education industry and charter schools. Keoki said a teacher who believed in him when he didn’t sparked his desire to impact kids positively. 2:14 - Learn how long Keoki has been working in the education world. 2:32 - What makes Kaʻōhao School unique? They are passionate about Hawaiian culture and making sure students learn about and to honor their surroundings, wherever they may be. 4:01 - Student success stories. The overall theme is that students come back saying that what they learned at Kaʻōhao School has set their education foundation to learn to dive deeper; to pause and reflect to see the deeper meaning. 5:26 - Challenges and solutions for Kaʻōhao School and other charter schools. Keoki shares that if you live your mission and are successful, you will draw people in. 7:00 - Advice for other schools that wish to be more mission focused. This is the heart of the episode where Keoki's passion for being mission focused can be heard and felt. “Less is More” 10:08 - If Keoki could go back in 5 years, what would he be surprised about today? The resiliency of staff is often overlooked and deserves to be given credit. 13:36 - Final insights. “The trunk of the tree is what makes the branches of the tree go strong” Show Notes: Kaʻōhao School - https://www.kaohaoschool.org/