萝莉网

Listen to the full conversation between Dr. Jackie Wilson, Stacie Kunihisa, and Keith Hayashi on the 萝莉网Principal Supervisor Podcast Series. You鈥檒l hear how Hawaii is building a 鈥渓eader-full鈥� state鈥攚here everyone, regardless of title or location, plays a role in supporting strong schools and strong communities.

路

A Unified System with a Unified Vision

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. with a single, statewide public school district. This centralized structure enables a coordinated approach to education leadership across 268 schools, 15 complex areas, and seven islands.

In this episode of AASA鈥檚 School Leadership Podcast, State Superintendent Keith Hayashi and Leadership Institute Executive Director Stacie Kunihisa describe how Hawaii is turning its statewide system into fertile ground for building and sustaining principal pipelines.

From Self-Study to Systemwide Strategy

Although Hawaii wasn鈥檛 part of the original Wallace Principal Pipeline Learning Community, it independently completed a full self-study. That process helped the state focus its efforts on three core areas: adopting clear leadership standards, strengthening university partnerships for pre-service preparation, and redefining the role of principal supervisors.

鈥淲e鈥檙e leaning into the idea that this is a shared responsibility,鈥� said Kunihisa.

Redefining the Role of Principal Supervisors

With 15 complex area superintendents across the islands, Hawaii reimagined these leaders as essential developers of school principals. Under Hayashi鈥檚 guidance, the state created new structures for onboarding, coaching, and mentoring principal supervisors 鈥� ensuring that those who lead principals have the tools and time to support them deeply and consistently.

Incentivizing and Investing in Leadership

To support the leadership pipeline, Hawaii has implemented several innovative strategies: fully reimbursing candidates for the cost of university coursework needed for administrator certification, extending vice principal roles to 12-month positions, and building coaching systems where every new administrator receives one-on-one support for their first three years.

鈥淲ho gets that?鈥� Kunihisa asked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real investment in our people.鈥�

Hawaii Ed Talks: Melting the Walls

To combat leadership turnover and knowledge loss, the state launched Hawaii Ed Talks 鈥� a blend of TED Talks and TikTok that captures short, high-impact videos from award-winning educators. These clips are designed to be immediately usable by other schools and help preserve institutional wisdom while building a culture of continuous sharing.

鈥淗ow do we package your knowledge and showcase it as legacy?鈥� Kunihisa asked.

Leadership at All Levels 鈥� and All Islands

Hawaii's leadership pipeline doesn't stop at principals. Custodians, administrative assistants, cafeteria managers, and even students are included in professional development and leadership summits. For many, it鈥檚 the first time they鈥檝e met the superintendent face to face 鈥� a powerful signal that everyone鈥檚 leadership matters.

Purpose-Driven Leadership as a Retention Strategy

Hayashi emphasized that a clear sense of purpose is key to retention.

鈥淲hen folks feel that they鈥檙e making a difference, they stay,鈥� he said.

Leadership development in Hawaii is tied to broader goals like workforce and economic development, and the state anchors all efforts in values of community, collaboration, and commitment to students.

AASA, with support from the Wallace Foundation, produced this series featuring school system strategies that serve to enhance the leadership pipeline.