The acting superintendent of Hawaii's public schools will step into the Furlough Fridays fray tomorrow in her first appearance with the Board of Education team trying to nudge Gov. Linda Lingle's administration to restore classroom days to the school calendar.

Kathryn Matayoshi will take just-retired Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto's seat at the table at a meeting tomorrow with Lingle staff members.

An attorney and career administrator with seven years as director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, she has been deputy superintendent since July.

Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said tomorrow's meeting is not a negotiation session, but an effort to provide information about an agreement between the board and the teachers union that would have restored seven days. The agreement, announced before Christmas, was rejected by the governor as too costly.

Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe said yesterday that the agreement died when the governor rejected it. But Toguchi said he considers the board-union agreement to be still on the table.

  Matayoshi Continues As School Superintendent

 

Kathy Matayoshi thanked former schools chief Pat Hamamoto for her 34 years of service and plans to apply for the job.

[ Watch ]

 

“;It's more a matter of providing them with information, and hopefully that information can sway the governor's decision,”; Toguchi said. “;The longer it takes, the less opportunity to make it work. If we run out of time, we have to go back to the drawing board, perhaps for next year.”; Schools will be closed for 10 more days this year and 17 days next year under the governor's budget-cutting plan.

Toguchi said the change in superintendent will not affect negotiations. “;It should be seamless. A lot of the work ... is handled by our labor relations staff and board members.”; He said the state attorney general is being consulted about whether Hamamoto may continue on the team as a volunteer, nonvoting member.

Matayoshi told reporters yesterday that her focus since she came to the Department of Education has been working up the state's application for federal education stimulus funds. Hawaii is competing with other states for part of $4 billion in Race to the Top funding that will be given for programs to improve schools and raise teacher standards.

Her work on the application “;has shown me that the department is positioned to take advantage of the changes and reforms (Hamamoto) has made over these last many years, to take our children into the 21st century,”; she told reporters at a news conference.

Asked if the reduced school year might affect Hawaii's eligibility for Race to the Top funds, she said, “;I'm not sure. Furloughs are not part of the criteria, so it certainly will not be one of the points negative. No matter what, there is an impression in the national media and elsewhere.”;

But in November, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that because of the furloughs, Hawaii faces “;a heck of a challenge”; in qualifying for $20 million to $75 million in federal funds under the Obama administration's Race to the Top grant program.

Matayoshi, who has had 13 years' experience as an administrator in private business and government, said she will apply for the permanent appointment as superintendent to continue Hamamoto's initiatives.

“;We have some really outstanding opportunities with the Race to the Top. ... It would be very unfortunate if there was a lapse in leadership and we were not able to proceed quickly with Race and other reform efforts coming out of the U.S. Department of Education.”;

Toguchi said the Board of Education will vote on appointing her interim superintendent at a special meeting Monday.

Other than being the daughter of a public school teacher and a graduate from public schools in Hilo, Matayoshi does not have a professional education background.

Board member Lei Ahu Isa told reporters, “;The board has a lot of faith that she has those administrative skills to reorganize or to get the job done in getting more efficiency and productivity out of the Department of Education.”;