Dale M. Arakaki

Pauoa Elementary School
Honolulu District
Honolulu, Hawaii
[email protected]

Pauoa Elementary has been called “the little school that did,” reaching high achievement in language arts, math, and science, and dramatically reducing the achievement gap despite being “a small Title I school at the epicenter of an academic earthquake.” The school’s notorious success is attributable to the transformative and reflective educational leadership of Dale Arakaki, who has led the school for a decade. Arakaki takes seriously Pauoa’s mission to “educate and nurture resilient keiki (children) to sustain and improve the quality of life in the Pauoa community and the larger global society.” In all Arakaki does, he is focused on continuously improving school design, supporting teacher collaboration, increasing opportunities for student voice, and closing achievement gaps between high-needs students and their peers. At Pauoa, the goals of academic achievement and positive culture are one in the same, and Arakaki sees himself as a facilitator of collective reflection and change who strives to “guide and empower” his team to “ponder critical questions” that inform the school’s process of constant reorientation toward student-centered practices and community well-being. Guided by the values of trust, transparency, and grit, the professional culture that Arakaki has built has led Pauoa to distinction as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School. Before becoming a principal, Arakaki served as a vice principal, fifth grade teacher, and school counselor. He holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, a Professional Diploma, and an M.Ed. in Administration from the University of Hawaii.