UPDATE: BOE Chairman Fired Executive Director
It would have been a fairly normal Hawaii State Board of Education meeting Thursday evening — until some board members got into a public squabble with board chairman Garrett Toguchi for allegedly overstepping his authority when he fired the board’s executive director without first consulting the board.
Board member Donna Ikeda was caught off-guard by the firing and read aloud an e-mail she and other board members received from Toguchi informing them of the change: “I am placing (and I’m blanking out the name here) in the interim E.D. position until further notice. Since this is an interim appointment and with the authority vested in the chair per section 3.i, confirmation by the board is not necessary.”
Who is the board’s executive director? We’re not entirely sure.
Per the board’s bylaws, Ikeda did not divulge the name, only referring to a “she.” The executive director’s duties are also unclear — the board members went into an executive session before I could ask any questions — but based on the board’s (see page B-2), it looks like the executive director provided its members with administrative support. And it sounds like she in turn earned their support. She was hired by the board — not just the chairman.
Ikeda likened Toguchi’s actions to that of a dictator. She said:
“Members of the board were not consulted nor informed of the fact that he asked the board’s current executive director to resign and then took it upon himself to replace her. Now he has gone a step further, declaring that the board’s bylaws give him the right to make these unilateral decisions. Section 3 of the bylaws, duties of the board chairperson, taken in its entirety, permits the chairperson to do business on behalf of the board. It does not permit the chair to do what he wants to do as a single board member. The BOE Interim Executive Director was hired by board vote. The terms of her appointment as interim executive director were established by board vote. There was also ample precedent to show that the board as a whole made these types of decisions in the past. So why would we suddenly allow Chair Toguchi to declare that this position is within the sole purview of the chair?
“I strongly object to Chair Toguchi making these unilateral decisions that are of the utmost importance to all board members. The chair’s actions are an affront to basic democratic principles. … I want to make it clear that I am standing up for my right to participate in decisions which affect this board, as well as any interpretation of the board’s bylaws. And I will fight against the dictatorial actions of any tyrant who would trample on those rights.”
Similar concerns were expressed by board members Maggie Cox and Eileen Clarke. Others seemed more concerned with keeping the board’s problems private.
“There are a lot of allegations that this board is very dysfunctional,” said board member Mary Cochran. “But I just thank God that despite this alleged dysfunctionality, our schools are doing great.”
Is the education board’s latest scuffle a sign that even greater dysfunction goes on behind closed doors? Share your thoughts in our education accountability discussion.
