Let The Governor Pick Board of Ed Members
In the name of transparency, the reader should know that I was a strong supporter of an elected board of education. I spoke and wrote about it. But, alas, I was not on the winning side.
Now that the voters have spoken, it is imperative that the Governor appoint people who are going to fulfill the vision of the voters. It is one of the reasons why I believe that the Governor must be free to choose whomever he wants within the geographical locations as proscribed by the law. Let鈥檚 not create a commission to tell the Governor who he can appoint. If that happens, I want my vote back.
An appointed board has a tough task. I think it is tougher than most voters imagine. The state constitution assigns two tasks to the state board of education; set education policy for the public schools and employ the superintendent of schools.
For years the board of education has wandered off the ranch micromanaging the department of education in general and sometimes even schools. At one point, the board even selected school administrators until the policy was changed to bar that meddling.
So appointing people to the board of education who will resist the temptation to micromanage the department of education will be a daunting task. The Governor鈥檚 stated intention to appoint Mr. Don Horner to the appointed board is certainly a positive sign.
Let me expand on this. First, the new board members must be able to set goals for Hawaii鈥檚 public education system. And to do that the member must have a vision for public education.
An appointed board member needs a proven well-honed ability to work with a variety of people. In my opinion this may be the most difficult trait to find. Many high-powered people looking to serve on the board of education may not have the ability to work as an equal with other high-powered people. The last thing we need as citizens is a power struggle on the board of education. We have seen enough of that in the past.
An appointed board member must understand the difference between setting policy for the department of education and managing the department. The best way for that to occur is to look at people with a demonstrated record of developing strong, implementable policies. It is hard not to want to meddle in the department鈥檚 operations. But, I believe that the department can鈥檛 improve if board members meddle.
Secondly, the new board member must understand what a strategic plan is and how to evaluate the success of such a plan. The new board of education will expect the superintendent of schools to develop a strategic plan for the public schools to meet their vision for public education. Then board members will need to determine if the plan does the job the board wants done.
A third quality needed is the ability to understand what an implementation plan is. All board members should have experience in developing implementation plans and how to measure progress and recognize lack of progress. Having this quality allows the board to have a solid foundation in evaluating the performance of the school superintendent.
The second constitutional task of the board of education is to employ the superintendent; the appointed board member should have experience in employing top level people. A state superintendent is a rare commodity and a board member with a solid background in selecting good high level personnel is essential. A proven ability to separate the wheat from the chaff in selecting people is a real skill.
What we do not want on the board of education are members with an axe to grind or an agenda to 鈥渇ix鈥 the DOE. Nor do we want people who want to fire everyone in the department or to put in a specific curriculum or want someone hired or is mad that they didn鈥檛 get a job. I really don鈥檛 believe that Governor Abercrombie would appoint such people, but do the governor a favor and don鈥檛 even apply.
Is there anyone out there that has all the qualities I think the appointed board of education members should have? Absolutely! The Governor just appointed one in Don Horner. Some appointees will be stronger in some areas than others. If the truth be told, there may be an appointee who is appointed primarily for political reasons. If that should happen, I have every confidence that person will have a strong vested interest in public education. And the student member will not have deep experience in strategic planning or hiring people, but definitely will have public education vision.
By setting the qualifications bar high we as citizens can ensure that the very best will be appointed. By giving the governor and the new board of education time to implement a new direction for public education, we all can be successful.
About the author: Joan Lee Husted is the retired executive director of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. In addition, she served as HSTA’s chief negotiator since 1972. Currently, she is on the PBS Board of Directors and the AUW Board of Directors. Her public service includes serving as a member and chair of the State Commission of the Status of Women, the State Tax Review Commission and the Temporary Commission on Comparable Worth.
Miss Husted has a PhB from Siena Heights University and a Masters from the University of Michigan. She was a school counselor at King Intermediate in Kaneohe and a Windward District Resource Teacher. She has worked with every Board of Education since 1971.
