Three Unit 6 members who are part of the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ Academy were recognized in the organizations February issue of Principal Leadership magazine.
Their first-person accounts tell the story of “connecting classrooms to careers,” building relevance and preparing students for a fast-changing world.
The principals are Kelcy Koga of Waiakea High School, Mahina Anguay of Waimea High School and Zachary Sheets of Waipahu High School.
“I didn’t start classroom teaching until I was 40, but I’m glad because that gave me a deep layer of non-school experiences,” Anguay said. “Today, as a principal I’m proud to provide my students with a career academy experience and expose them to so many career options before graduating from high school.”
At Waimea, students in their sophomore year can choose from the Technology and Design Academy or the Health, Agriculture, Hospitality and Tourism Academy.
An hour-and-20-minutes drive away, Koga said Waiakea High School’s early academy model was “too ambitious,” but since 2012 the school has been offering four academy options at the beginning of sophomore year.
“We have students in our health services academy who can graduate high school with a certified nursing assistant certification,” Koga said. “From there, they can get hired at a local hospital or pursue an additional nursing degree. We have similar certification programs for our other three academies.”
Similar successes are happening at Waipahu High School where Sheets is principal. The school offers six academies, which include multiple pathways. It was the first high school in the state to achieve “wall-to-wall” National Career Academy Coalition model status in 2020 under now-Superintendent Keith Hayashi.
“It is an honor to continue their work and build upon their momentum to ensure WHS remains an example of the transformative power of public education,” Sheets said.
