Hawaii’s Board Of Education Appoints Heidi Armstrong As Deputy Superintendent
Armstrong, who has served in the role on an interim basis since July, joins two other deputy superintendents who were appointed last month.
After being officially appointed as a deputy superintendent, Heidi Armstrong said she will prioritize the development of high-quality instruction that addresses students’ academic and social emotional needs.
The Board of Education named Armstrong to the role on a permanent basis Thursday. She will join two other deputy superintendents — Tammi Oyadomari-Chun and Curt Otaguro — who were appointed last month.
Like Oyadomari-Chun and Otaguro, Armstrong’s annual salary will begin at $190,000.
Armstrong has served as interim deputy superintendent since July and previously worked as assistant deputy superintendent from April to June. She will continue to oversee the Department of Education’s academics and complex area superintendents. Oyadomari-Chun oversees strategy while Otaguro oversees operations.
Armstrong said she looks forward to working with teachers and staff within the department, as well as other stakeholders across the state.
“This deputy position doesn’t and cannot work in a silo, but needs to have that vision of, ‘What do we want our children to accomplish?’” Armstrong said during Thursday’s meeting. “We need the support of the entire department in order to make that happen.”
Board member Ken Kuraya raised concerns that the DOE may become top-heavy with the recent appointment of two other deputy superintendents. Superintendent Keith Hayashi responded that Armstrong, Oyadomari-Chun and Otaguro will collaborate with one another to ensure that the department can efficiently respond to schools’ needs.
“The urgency is to really take a look at an assessment of what we’re doing within the system, within the department,” Hayashi said. “All of that comes with the three deputies working together with the area superintendents and working with the schools.”
