[ BOARD OF EDUCATION ]

7
Kauai

Margaret "Maggie" Cox

Age: 60 Job: Retired public school principal Past: My husband is a schoolteacher at Kapaa Middle.

What qualifies you to be a Board of Education member?

I retired from the Department of Education in December 2003 with over 30 years of service as a teacher, vice principal and principal. Carrying out roles and responsibilities of the board should be greatly enhanced by my ... experience. ...

What is the most pressing issue facing Hawaii schools, and what would you do about it?

No Child Left Behind is certainly the driving force behind the call for changes within the Department of Education. A very pressing issue for schools this fall is the implementation of Act 51: Reinventing Education Act of 2004. ...

What can the board do to help schools comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act?

One of the board's roles is to monitor school successes. We have established content and performance standards to direct the learning process. Research shows that programs don't teach children; teachers teach children. ...

William (Bill) Georgi

Age: 60 Job: (Computer) Lead analyst Past: Former university and industry instructor

What qualifies you to be a Board of Education member?

I've taught at several universities and audited the systemwide computerized financial systems at University of California (with a budget over twice as large as Hawaii's public schools). ...

What is the most pressing issue facing Hawaii schools, and what would you do about it?

Many keiki are not learning the basics well enough for later classes. It is difficult to learn history if you can't read the textbook. Without the basics, we set our kids up for failure. The number of Hawaii's community college students in remedial classes is shameful. ...

What can the board do to help schools comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act?

Recommit Hawaii's public schools to emphasizing the basics ... reading, writing, English, mathematics, social studies and history. Make sure every student has a good textbook for every academic class. ...

Mitsugi Nakashima

Age: 75 Job: Educator (retired) Past: Board of Education 12 years; Hawaii public schools 34 years

What qualifies you to be a Board of Education member?

I have a passionate commitment to quality public education. I had 12 years ... of distinguished service on the Board of Education which complements 34 successful years in the Hawaii Department of Education as a teacher, counselor, principal. ...

What is the most pressing issue facing Hawaii schools, and what would you do about it?

The most pressing issue is improving underperforming schools. A school and its classrooms is the basic organizational unit where ... performance is imperative. Schools must implement the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards ...

What can the board do to help schools comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act?

The board is a policy-making rather than a managerial body. It can support its chief executive officer, the superintendent of education, by enacting ... policies; it must also monitor ... success and hold the superintendent accountable. ...