[ OUR OPINION ]
Charter schools need
to replace leader quicklyDEWEY Kim's unexpected resignation as head of Hawaii's charter schools shows how difficult it is to chart the dimensions of the new job while doing the work at the same time. The need for appropriate leadership and management for the schools should prompt the state Board of Education to appoint an interim director while searching for a permanent replacement.
THE ISSUE
The schools' new director has resigned after five months on the job.
By all accounts Kim had been doing well but the enormous demands of the job apparently triggered health problems.
Kim, who was the 26 schools' first executive director, was appointed several months later than planned because the board and a charter school committee disagreed about the number of nominees to be considered for the position.
Kim began work in February, five months past the scheduled Oct. 1 starting date. He cited the delay as one reason for his difficulties, saying it placed him "way behind in trying to understand the complexities of issues."
The late start tripped up allocations for the schools when lawmakers were given outdated figures from which to calculate funding, but a $2.5 million shortfall was averted after the mistake was caught.
Kim also pointed to what might be the most demanding element of the job -- the push-pull of reporting to the board while being the advocate for the charter schools, which are public schools but operate independently of the Department of Education. The autonomy of each school compounds the pressure mix because of their diverse goals and needs.
No doubt it is a tough job and Kim was juggling several balls while simultaneously dealing with the nuts and bolts of establishing a new agency, such as setting up an office and determining staffing levels. Stepping into the new position would have been taxing enough, but Kim also had to build an entity from the ground up.
"He was new, the position was new. We were all kind of searching how to make this work," board chairman Breene Harimoto said.
The board and the department should consider providing some assistance, at least until a new director and staff have operations up and running. An interim manager should be able to sustain functions, but preparations need to be made for the new school year or the next director also will be a step behind.
There is little that can be done about the complexity of the job or the multiple roles the director must play, answering both to the board and to the charter schools. It may be that the board, which does not appear to have kept excessively tight reins on Kim, will have to adjust its oversight while new frameworks are being forged.
As for Kim, the board and charter school praised his efforts. "He was our warrior," said Steve Hirakami, president of the Hawaii Charter Schools Network.
