Believing that every student should be empowered to become a better human being, Sister Joan Madden two decades ago founded a Wahiawa private school that has since become a model for character education.

Madden's philosophy is not only the basis of Ho'ala School's innovative curriculum, but has been embraced by other schools in Hawai'i and on the Mainland.

"This model of education is her legacy," said Nancy Barry, head of school at Ho'ala School.

Madden, 78, died Oct. 31 in Dubuque, Iowa, where she had been living at the motherhouse of her religious order, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She left Ho'ala School in 2001.

Madden was born in Chicago and was an educator in Hawai'i since the 1960s.

Along with Honolulu psychologist Raymond Corsini, Madden developed an education philosophy that stressed individual responsibility, freedom of choice and the basic equality of children, parents and teachers. She implemented her philosophy at Our Lady Of Sorrows School in Wahiawa, where she served 23 years as principal.

Her philosophy, based on Adlerian psychology, became a point of controversy in 1986 when some parents and Catholic Church officials opposed the teaching program. Madden was fired, and along with parents and educators from Our Lady of Sorrows, founded the nonsectarian Ho'ala School. Today it has 120 students in grades K-12.

"She was an incredible, forthright person," said Linda Turnbull, principal of Ho'ala School, who first became involved with the school 15 years ago as a parent volunteer.

"She was a thinker. She had ideas that were new and innovative," she said.

Turnbull said the key to Madden's philosophy is that teachers don't teach values, they embody and exemplify them.

"The teachers and parents are modeling behaviors we want to see show up in our children," Turnbull said.

Jef Fern, a teacher at Ho'ala, was one of the faculty members who helped Madden found the school after her ouster from Our Lady of Sorrows.

"She was not particularly esteemed within the church because of her ideas," Fern said. "She had perceived a need for her education model after she looked at these kids, who were eighth-graders and came in as kindergartners, and found she wasn't having an impact on them to be happier, better people."

Fern said Madden believed strongly in involving parents in the education process.

"Part of our school's outlook is that parents are the main teachers in children's lives," he said.

When Madden left the school five years ago, while battling Alzheimer's disease, Fern said the school continued to use Madden's model of education.

"The difficulty is saying how profoundly this lady made a difference in people's lives. My children are beautiful and healthy and my life is better. So much of that is Joan," Fern said. "To enumerate exact things is difficult. But I can say she has made a profound difference in the lives of the children and parents she taught."

Private services were held in Iowa for Madden.

A memorial will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at Ho'ala School, elementary campus, 1067 California Ave. in Wahiawa.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.