Gavin A. Tsue

Palisades Elementary School
Leeward District
Pearl City, Hawaii
gavin.tsue@k12.hi.us

Principal Gavin A. Tsue has led Palisades Elementary School for 11 years, guided by a “One Ohana” (one family) philosophy that prioritizes collaboration, communication, and care among parents, students, staff, and community partners. Under his leadership, the school consistently exceeds state benchmarks for reading and math and impressively exceeds pre-COVID achievement despite the challenges of pandemic learning loss. In the return to in-person learning, Tsue spearheaded multiple initiatives that activate engagement by centering students’ interests and passions, including clubs that emphasize leadership, culinary arts, gaming, fitness, and STEM. In tandem with these enrichment programs, Tsue’s instructional leadership has focused on establishing cross-grade consistency and enabling vertically and horizontally articulated learning objectives while including students in the school improvement process. Palisades students regularly take ownership in presenting achievement data at national conferences and state board meetings and make formal recommendations on how to address deficits. Tsue has also led multiple family engagement and capital improvement projects to ensure a safe, inclusive, and modern learning environment and has overseen an overall improvement in attendance with the school now exceeding state and district averages. Tsue previously served as vice principal for 11 years, a third grade teacher for three years, and a reading specialist for four years. He holds an M.Ed. in Educational Administration, a post-baccalaureate degree in Education, and a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.