Reporter

Megan Tagami

Megan Tagami is a reporter covering education for Honolulu Civil Beat.

Megan earned her degree in political science and public affairs from UCLA, where she wrote for the school paper, the Daily Bruin.

Megan previously interned for the Wall Street Journal and CalMatters, covering K-12 and higher education. She also was an intern for Civil Beat.

Megan was born and raised in Honolulu. In her free time, she is out looking for a good cup of coffee or finding new hiking trails with her cousin.

Lahaina Schools Are Recovering From The Fires, But Challenges Remain  Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Lahaina Schools Are Recovering From The Fires, But Challenges Remain 

Growing enrollment and providing mental health services remain a top priority for schools, although teachers believe students are better positioned to learn this year.

Affordable Housing Project Could Help Keep Teachers In Lahaina Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Affordable Housing Project Could Help Keep Teachers In Lahaina

The state introduced plans to provide affordable housing to West Maui teachers in 2022, but limited funding and the wildfires halted progress.

Hawaii Kindergarten Readiness Is Low, Even As Investments Remain High David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Hawaii Kindergarten Readiness Is Low, Even As Investments Remain High

The state continues to build more preschool classrooms for 3- and 4-year-olds, but researchers and educators say low-income families need more support to prepare their children for school.

The ‘Ridiculous,’ Growing Trend Of Hawaii Private School Coaching Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

The ‘Ridiculous,’ Growing Trend Of Hawaii Private School Coaching

Tutoring centers helping students with private school admissions have become more popular in recent years, but not all families can afford them.

Plans For Hawaii’s First Public Teacher Housing Complex Face Backlash Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Plans For Hawaii’s First Public Teacher Housing Complex Face Backlash

A first-of-its-kind project would create over 100 units of affordable housing on Mililani High School's campus, but some teachers and families say the planning process needs more community input.

Hawaii DOE Is Attempting To Rein In Bad Parent Behavior. Will It Work? Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii DOE Is Attempting To Rein In Bad Parent Behavior. Will It Work?

Schools will be required to post rules for campus visitors, but some teachers say the Department of Education needs to develop more internal procedures to keep workers safe.

Data Shows A Dramatic Difference In Test Scores Between Hawaii Schools David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Data Shows A Dramatic Difference In Test Scores Between Hawaii Schools

Statewide numbers suggest student test scores have flatlined in Hawaii in recent years, but results for individual schools show significant changes.

Board Of Education Restores Cuts For School Learning Centers Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Board Of Education Restores Cuts For School Learning Centers

After strong public opposition the proposed budget cuts, DOE will continue to request state funding to support school learning centers.

Kids May Lose After-School Options Under Hawaii’s DOE Budget Cuts Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Kids May Lose After-School Options Under Hawaii’s DOE Budget Cuts

The $2.3 billion budget, which will be presented to the Board of Education on Thursday, would eliminate funding for school learning centers statewide.