Have you checked out The Hot Seat? It's our opinion-page blog that brings in your elected leaders and people in the news and lets you ask the questions during a live online chat.

On The Hot Seat last week was Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer. Here is an excerpt from that session. (Names of questioners below are screen names given during our online chat).

Bill Punini Prescott: Has Kamehameha Schools ever considered taking over one or all of the public schools on Hawaiian Home Lands that have a history of failing to successfully educate our Hawaiian kids? Converting one or more of these schools to a charter school would go a long way in helping children who need it the most. The present charter school in Nanakuli, with its highly qualified staff, avoids these students.

Dee Jay Mailer: It is true that some public schools are failing the "No Child Left Behind" standards, and too many of those schools serve Hawaiian communities.

We cannot "take over" public schools, but you are right that Kamehameha can provide funding support for public charter schools. And we do — for 14 of them, and 15 if Kamaile converts to a charter. Public schools that convert to charter status would still be led by their own administration and community, but have the resources of Kamehameha to strengthen them.

Kamehameha is not waiting for schools to convert to charter school status before we help. We are currently focused on funding literacy teachers in elementary schools in Hawaiian neighborhoods to assure all students can read by third grade. We're working with several other organizations to do so, including the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. We are also funding tutoring and mentoring. In Nanakuli, we just recently funded $4 million to build some child and family community centers in new transitional housing for the homeless. And we are and will be doing more to assure that the keiki and their families in these communities get the education they need and fully deserve.

Jere Krischel: If the Supreme Court rules against Kamehameha, will Kamehameha Schools admit students of all racial backgrounds, or will they close the school?

What plans have been made to help successfully integrate students of all races into the student body if the Supreme Court rules the admissions policy unconstitutional?

Mailer: We are not going to close our school. No matter what happens in the courts, we will keep providing more educational opportunities for the benefit of Hawaiian children. It is what the princess intended when she left her assets to build Kamehameha Schools, and it is what we will continue to do until Hawaiian children are no longer lagging their peers in school and Hawaiians as a people are holding their rightful places in our homeland, as strong stewards of our lands, thriving citizens in our communities, and fair and respected leaders in our state.

Nalu: If the Supreme Court hears the John Doe case and rules against Kamehameha Schools, does the school have a contingency plan to protect the wishes of the princess?

Mailer: We are often asked about our "Plan B." It is the same as our Plan A— to keep providing more educational opportunities that benefit Hawaiian children, as our princess intended.

Chris: Kamilo Nui is the last agricultural valley left in Honolulu. It also is home to the ancient Pahua Heiau from the 15th century. Recently there were pronouncements by developers that they will develop the valley for luxury homes even though it lies outside the urban growth boundary. Is Kamehameha supportive of continuing agriculture in the valley and, if so, what steps will you take to safeguard the continuity of agriculture?

Mailer: There is no current deal to sell Kamilo Nui agricultural land to any developer, and selling Kamilo Nui land was never our initiative. A couple of years ago, some of the farmers asked us if they could purchase their leased fee interest so they could, in turn, sell the property to a developer. We agreed to let them explore that option, as long as it was acceptable to all the farmers in the valley. The farmers and the developer were not able to reach an agreement, and there are no further discussions taking place. Not all of the farmers supported the development proposal, therefore, Kamehameha will honor the current lease terms.

Your question is focused on Kamilo Nui, but our stewardship kuleana extends throughout the state, and our approach is holistic. Every decision we make concerning our lands is weighed against five values: environment, education, economic, cultural and community. We were established in perpetuity, and we must make careful decisions about our assets to make sure we protect our future.

Walter Figueira Jr.: I would like to applaud Kamehameha Schools for building campuses on Maui and the Big Island to serve the educational needs of our Hawaiian children on the Neighbor Islands. Due to the large population on O'ahu I believe it is time to consider building an additional Kamehameha Schools campus in the second city of Kapolei, just as UH is considering building a new UH-West O'ahu campus.

While Kamehameha Schools does a great job with its outreach programs, I'm sure that we all agree that much more needs to be done to address the educational needs of our children of Hawaiian ancestry.

A new Kapolei campus could serve all students west of Red Hill. This is the future of the population growth of O'ahu. Perhaps you could find a piece of land near the new OHA headquarters or the new rail line. A new campus would allow you to design with modern technology in mind.

Mailer: You're right, Walter. More needs to be done. Our reality is that there are 75,000 Hawaiian school-aged children in this state. We cannot build enough campuses to meet that need, and provide educational opportunities for future generations in perpetuity, which is our mandate.

So, in order to serve all Hawaiian youth in need and the kamali'i (babies) yet to be born, we have to concentrate on leveraging and building the strength and resources that exist in our communities. We are doing this through partnerships with the capable educational providers within communities. This year, we have moved $50 million to predominantly Hawaiian communities, funding excellent educational providers who live and work there.