BOE looks to
plug appointment
policy hole

A committee proposal
requires board approval of
superintendent action

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

State education officials are reviewing a regulation that allows the schools superintendent to appoint department employees to other positions when their jobs have been eliminated.

Keith Sakata, chairman of the Board of Education's Support Services Committee that met yesterday, proposed a policy that would require board approval for all superintendent-directed transfers of teachers or educational officers.

The proposed policy stemmed from the controversy surrounding the appointment of former schools Superintendent Herman Aizawa as principal of the McKinley Community School for adults, effective Sept. 1.

Aizawa was appointed to the position by the then-superintendent of personnel who was temporarily appointed acting superintendent while Aizawa attended a national educator awards ceremony.

Department personnel officials have defended the current regulations, which they say obligated the department to place Aizawa into a position after he resigned as superintendent and allows him to keep his superintendent salary of $90,041 for one year.

"This regulation was legal and was good when it was approved, so it makes the actions that took place appropriate," board member Francis McMillen said yesterday.

This is the first time the regulations have been applied to a schools superintendent.

"The question now as time goes on and actions were taken, we now see maybe it wasn't such a good idea and maybe we need to clarify it," McMillen said.

Interim schools superintendent Al Suga said the department has been asked to look into the entire system of recruitment and retention of department employees.