National experts tell us that Hawaii is the only state they know of that classifies charter school employees as state employees.

That defeats the whole purpose of charter schools, they say, which is to serve as laboratories of innovation. Check out our story today to learn why and what lawmakers are plan to do about it.

What it means to support Civil Beat.

Supporting Civil Beat means you’re investing in a newsroom that can devote months to investigate corruption. It means we can cover vulnerable, overlooked communities because those stories matter. And, it means we serve you. And only you.

Donate today and help sustain the kind of journalism Hawaiʻi cannot afford to lose.