In a surprise move that was kept quiet for days, the head of the financially challenged state Department of Education has resigned.

In a Dec. 28 letter, schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto—whose department has been forced to cut the public school year by 17 Furlough Fridays this school year and next—said her resignation was effective yesterday.

The resignation stunned some Education Board members who said they only learned of it yesterday.

State board member Lei Ahu Isa said she heard the news yesterday evening on television. “;I'm kind of surprised at this point, but I don't blame her because she must be so frustrated with what's going on with this furlough thing,”; Isa said.

She said Hamamoto tried hard to resolve the budgetary problems and restore instructional days in talks with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and Gov. Linda Lingle.

Hamamoto and Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi met with members of Lingle's staff Monday to look at ways to increase the number of instructional days.

In charge of the school system since 2001, briefly as interim superintendent, Hamamoto has been responsible for compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act at a time when the state has faced a shortfall in revenues and made cuts in the education budget.

Isa and at least one other board member said they were trying to reach Toguchi to find out why they had not been told earlier about Hamamoto's resignation. Toguchi released a statement at about 8 p.m. yesterday saying Hamamoto was retiring effective yesterday.

“;Superintendent Hamamoto has worked tirelessly to ensure we had a viable plan to reduce the number of furloughs at our public schools. She has also volunteered to continue being part of the Department's negotiating team to assist in reaching a resolution to bring students back to the classroom,”; the statement said.

Toguchi said Deputy Superintendent Kathy Matayoshi is acting superintendent, effective immediately.

Hamamoto, 65, who oversaw about 172,000 students and 259 schools, was a career educator who served 34 years with the state Department of Education. She succeeded Paul LeMahieu. Her four-year contract in 2001 called for her to be paid $150,000 annually, about $60,000 more than her predecessor.

Hamamoto, who has a master's degree in education administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, was a teacher from 1975 through 1983 and rose from the administrative ranks within the state Department of Education.

She served as a vice principal for several years first at Maui High School, then at Nanakuli High & Intermediate and later as the principal at Pearl City Highlands Elementary, Likelike Elementary and McKinley High School. She served as deputy superintendent of education from 1999 to 2001.