Principal in Kaunakakai honored for leadership

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KAHULUI - Kaunakakai Elementary School Principal Janice Espiritu will invest most, if not all, of her $25,000 award winnings in education.

Espiritu was selected the winner of the Island Insurance Foundation Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award on Wednesday night at the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation dinner on Oahu. She is the first Neighbor Island honoree in the six-year history of the recognition program.

After spending the night on Oahu, Espiritu flew to her native Maui for a principals meeting.

"I was just overwhelmed," the 55-year-old said Thursday morning. "I was so thrilled. Every administrator deserves this kind of recognition because they all work so hard."

Espiritu received a $10,000 cash award and an additional $15,000 for a school project of her choice. She plans to use the school money to implement a green-energy initiative by partnering Kaunakakai Elementary with its community and organizations, such as Maui Electric Co.

She said she hopes to create solar power for her campus and to create an eco-friendly alternative-energy project that would serve as a teaching tool for students.

Her personal award of $10,000 will be spent on higher education for her youngest daughter, Ceriann, a junior at Molokai High School, who has plans to attend college.

Espiritu and her former husband, Eddie, have three other daughters: Joan Tanabe, a substitute teacher at Molokai High; Kimberly Ka'ai, a 6th-grade teacher at her mom's school; and Joy Espiritu, who works for American Savings Bank on Maui.

Janice Espiritu was born and reared in Kahului, graduating from Baldwin High School in 1971. Her father, Kiyoshi Shimada, was the former owner of a radio and TV service shop.

The annual award, named in honor of the late Masayuki Tokioka, founder of Island Insurance Co. Ltd., is presented to a public school principal who is visionary, community-minded and has an entrepreneurial spirit.

"Principal Espiritu exemplifies the type of leadership that can transform our public schools into model learning institutions," said Colbert Matsumoto, Island Insurance Foundation president. "By recognizing outstanding principals such as Janice, it is our hope that her accomplishments will inspire others in education."

Twelve candidates were nominated for the award, including Pomaikai Elementary School Principal Rene Yamafuji. Each candidate received $1,000 and a commemorative plaque that were presented at a recognition ceremony in April.

Under Espiritu's leadership in 2007, Kaunakakai Elementary for the first time met the federal benchmarks required in the No Child Left Behind Act.

During her tenure, she has initiated many programs to stimulate student learning and parental involvement. These programs include Families for Resource and Early Action Learning, Families and Classroom Teachers, and Focus on Standards.

"Mrs. Espiritu motivates myself and others to achieve our best by saying that we can do it and never give up," wrote Kaunakakai Student Council President Katalina Pania Santiago. "She always tells us to strive in our work, both in and out of school. And that's what great principals do."

"Janice has consistently brought together teachers, staff, parents and community members for the sole purpose of creating the best possible learning environment for the children at our school," said Robert Underwood, a teacher at Kaunakakai Elementary. "Under her leadership, our school has developed a professional learning community model that has improved instruction and created a team of teacher leaders."

Espiritu said her success has come about because of the mentors she's had in her 30-year career. These include award-winning retired principals Wally Fujii and Larry Joyo; retired Honolulu administrator Ruby Hiraishi; Molokai educational consultant Rose Yamada; Complex Area Superintendent Lindsay Ball, who nominated her for the award; and former area superintendent Ron Okamura, now a principal at McKinley High School on Oahu.

Espiritu said her win represents the accomplishments of the staff and faculty at Kaunakakai Elementary.

"The teachers in the classrooms, that's so key. Everyone has helped with student achievement," she said.

* Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com.