Our Story

Math tutoring built on real relationships.

Palolo Tutoring was founded with one belief: that every student can succeed in math when they have the right support, the right environment, and someone who genuinely cares about their growth.

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More than tutoring — we build confidence.

At Palolo Tutoring, we believe math anxiety is real — and beatable. Too many students leave classroom feeling lost, convinced that math "just isn't for them." We exist to change that story, one student at a time.

Our approach centers on small groups because we've seen firsthand how peer learning unlocks understanding. When students work through problems together, they learn to think — not just memorize. That's the difference between passing a test and actually getting it.

Based right here in Honolulu, we're proud to be part of the community we serve. We know Hawaii's students, Hawaii's schools, and the academic journey families in this community navigate every day.

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Community First

We're a local Honolulu business, built for the students and families of our community.

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Real Understanding

We teach concepts, not shortcuts. Students leave knowing why — not just how.

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Collaborative Learning

Our group-first model creates a space where students learn from each other as much as from us.

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Measurable Results

We track every student's progress and keep families in the loop every step of the way.

Students studying together at Palolo Tutoring

When students learn together, everyone rises.

Group learning isn't just more affordable — it's more effective. When a student explains a concept to a peer, they deepen their own understanding. When they see a classmate work through a problem differently, they discover new approaches.

Our small-group sessions are designed to be collaborative, structured, and energizing. Students leave not just having completed homework — but actually understanding why the math works.

5+
Years teaching experience
10+
Math subjects offered
100%
Math focused

The people behind Palolo Tutoring

Our team brings together teaching experience, test prep expertise, and a shared passion for helping students in Honolulu succeed in math.

David Jones
David Jones
Founder & Lead Tutor

David founded Palolo Tutoring after 5+ years of teaching and tutoring math across Connecticut and Honolulu. A University of Connecticut graduate with a B.S. in Mathematics and Economics, David built this program from the ground up with one goal in mind: giving Honolulu students access to high-quality, affordable math tutoring right in their own community.

Hawaii DOE Group Learning Pre-Algebra–Calculus
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Sophia Janik
SAT & ACT Analyst

Sophia specializes in standardized test strategy. She has helped hundreds of students dramatically improve their SAT and ACT math scores through her data-driven, question-by-question approach to exam preparation.

SAT Math ACT Math Score Strategy
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Kyle Doi
Curriculum Specialist

Kyle designs and refines the structured curriculum that powers every Palolo session. With expertise across Algebra through AP Calculus, Kyle ensures every unit builds logically on the last so no student gets left behind.

Curriculum Design AP Calculus AP Statistics
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Sam McKlin
Content Manager

Sam manages all of Palolo's learning materials — practice sets, worksheets, and review guides. A longtime resident of Honolulu and a math enthusiast, he keeps our content fresh, accurate, and aligned with what Hawaii students are actually learning in school.

Content Creation Hawaii Schools Practice Materials

How Palolo Tutoring came to be

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The Beginning
A love for teaching, a gap that needed filling

Growing up around math, it always felt like a subject that made sense — until watching so many students struggle with it and hearing the same thing over and over: "I'm just not a math person." That never sat right. After years of tutoring and teaching experience, it became clear that the students who were "bad at math" often just hadn't had the right environment to learn it in.

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The Idea
Group-first tutoring takes shape

Not every student learns the same way. Some thrive working through problems alongside peers. Others need focused, one-on-one time to build confidence before they're ready to shine in a group. Palolo Tutoring was built around that reality — flexible enough to meet students where they are, but always grounded in one goal: making math make sense.

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Palolo Tutoring
Built for Honolulu families

Palolo Tutoring was officially launched — a math-only tutoring service rooted in community, focused on collaboration, and committed to making expert math help accessible to every family in Honolulu.

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Today & Beyond
Growing alongside our students

We're just getting started. As we grow, our commitment stays the same: hire great tutors, put students first, and never stop improving the quality of our curriculum and sessions.

Let's find the right program for your student.

Book a free consultation and we'll personally match your student with the right course, group size, and schedule — no commitment required.