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State Board of Education

Hot issues
fuel hot races

With discussions about
teacher pay, testing and other issues,
education has become a priority.

---

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

NOT as many voters may use eenie-meenie-minie-mo this primary election to pick state Board of Education members.

With education one of the hot topics nationally in the U.S. presidential race, and with Hawaii's public schools being in the headlines so much, some board candidates have noticed increased public interest in school issues and in who's running for the board.

"I'm glad there is a great deal of interest in the board," said Oahu at-large candidate Donna Ikeda, a former state senator. "This is a very key position. Education goes to the heart of everything."

Candidate Libby Oshiyama, an international educational consultant, said candidates are getting much more exposure. "Some (people) are looking for ways to hear from the candidates," she said.

"Primarily, (people) want to know who I am," said candidate James I. Kuroiwa Jr., business agent with the AFL-CIO Laborers Union 368 and former Republican Party Oahu County chairman.

The board race that the public will have the toughest time sorting through is the Oahu at-large race, which has three seats up for grabs.

Eighteen candidates are signed up. The top six vote-getters will move on to the general election.

With the departure of board member Noemi Pendleton, at least one of the three seats will be filled by a newcomer.

Businessman Lex Brodie and the Arc in Hawaii Executive Director Garrett Toguchi are the other two incumbents seeking re-election.

"In the past, people weren't interested in the school board," said candidate Carol Gabbard, whose 24-year-old son, Ryan, is also running for an at-large berth.

"When you ask the average person on the street ... they don't vote at all," said candidate Carolyn Golojuch, a social worker.

But with public discussions about accountability, teacher pay, crowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings, high-stakes testing, improving reading, the school budget and a host of other issues, education has become a priority for many.

"With everyone saying they're for education, I don't see much happening," said candidate Mike Wong, a former public school teacher who is now in law school.

Retired Moanalua High School Principal Jacqueline Heupel said frustration with the Department of Education may be another reason why people are paying more attention to the board race.

"There's too much politics; it's too big and cumbersome," Heupel said.

But Toguchi has another take. With the turmoil years of budget cuts, the search for a new state superintendent and state librarian, and special education compliance in the past, the board is now in a position to see real change take place.

"We're really getting down to business now," Toguchi said. "This is the heart of why I ran for the board and why other people ran for the board -- for the improvement of public education."

Other candidates for the Oahu at-large seats are Shirley Robinson, Brandon Yamamoto, Randall Yee, Marcia Linville, Jim Brewer, Velma Aloha Kekipi and Rachel Choi.

Other primary election board races include:

Incumbent Denise Matsumoto being challenged by Dick Brawley and teacher Malcom Kirkpatrick for the Honolulu seat.

Incumbent Ronald Nakano and challengers Dave Gilbert, Marilyn Harris and Ronald Correa Mata all vying for the Leeward Oahu seat.

Board Chairman Mitsugi Nakashima going up against William (Bill) Georgi and Sherwood Hara for the Kauai seat. The two with the most votes for each district race will move on to the general election.