St Anthony School Kailua

In order to deliver a 21rst century learning experience, the school institution must be a paradigm 21rst century organization guided by leaders who demonstrate outstanding communication, leadership, organizational skills, and pursuit of excellence. While St. Anthony School markets itself as providing such an education, the administration’s role modeling of these qualities could not be more opposite. The school is rutted in the status quo with next to no professional development for the faculty, deteriorating facilities, and retention of underperforming faculty. Further, the administration’s focus on enrollment (read tuition intake) drives low admissions standards and, expectedly, class disruption and bullying. That over a quarter of the faculty left after the 2013-2014 school year is testament to the unhealthy organizational climate set by school leadership. Any parents considering this school should carefully consider alternatives, public and private, and warily do their homework before entrusting their children’s education to this school.

St. Anthony School is weak on weak on education, very weak on Catholic identity, yet strong in marketing itself. Regrettably, this institution exists to exist; the school administrators’ real job is job retention, not to educate and develop children. As a retired military family who came to Hawaii on active duty, I caution my military brothers and sisters to carefully do their homework prior to making the same mistake we did enrolling here. Through our 7 years at the school, accumulating 22 student-years among our 5 students, with 5 years of service on the School Board, we have observed that the military community sustains the school, paying full tuition and enabling island nepotism at its worst. The typical military family does not stay long enough to fully appreciate the dysfunctional nature of the school prior to rotation. The school’s sponsor, St. Anthony’s Parish, has little interest in the school, providing no oversight or guidance and no financial support.

Neither the parish nor the school has a strategic plan resulting in disjointed curriculum, taught by underpaid faculty operating in dilapidated facilities. The school administration happily operates in the absence of school governance, rewarding themselves with handsome salaries, and refusing to respond to legitimate, constructive parental criticism. I urge any parent considering enrolling their children to carefully consider whether the school’s marketing effort featuring their internet / ipad focus and cursory February 2011 accreditation review outweighs the weak, uncoordinated curriculum, playgrounds in dismal repair, hot classrooms and dinghy bathrooms, an out of date library, and a physical education program whose disengaged instructor reflects the inadequate facilities. In summary, the profound leadership problems gravely affect learning and do not justify the tuition.