A split on the Board of Education erupted yesterday afternoon with a board member calling for Chairman Garrett Toguchi to resign.

But Toguchi rejected calls for his ouster and appeared firmly in control of the 14-member board responsible for Hawaii's public school system.

“;I don't have any plans to step down,”; Toguchi said after the board met for more than two hours in executive session last night following board member Breene Harimoto's public criticism of Toguchi's leadership.

There are 13 voting members of the board, and Harimoto said Toguchi has the support of eight of them.

Harimoto and fellow members Donna Ikeda, Herbert Watanabe and Eileen Clarke and student member Kelly Maeshiro all complained about not being informed of the resignation of schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto until 3:30 p.m. Dec. 31, three days after she told Toguchi of her plan to retire. Hamamoto's last day was Dec. 31, and Deputy Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, who joined the department in the summer, has been named acting superintendent.

Ikeda said she was “;shocked”; to learn of Hamamoto's retirement from the news media.

“;This is unethical if not illegal, and it is just plain wrong,”; Ikeda said.

  BOE Board Members Complains about Toguchi

 

One BOE member is calling for the resignation of chairman Garrett Toguchi.

[ Watch ]

 

Toguchi's critics on the board also complained about how he has handled negotiations with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the department, which led to a tentative deal to reduce the number of Furlough Fridays.

The dissident board members say they were not informed about the details of the deal.

“;It's embarrassing when you walk around town and people ask you, 'What's going on?' and I don't know about it until I read the morning paper,”; Watanabe said.

Gov. Linda Lingle rejected the deal, but her administration has indicated that it was still willing to talk with the board and the department.

“;What would have happened if she (the governor) had approved it and the majority of the board did not?”; Harimoto said.

Toguchi told the board that he took full responsibility for not informing them of Hamamoto's resignation. He said she had submitted her resignation twice before and he had talked her out of it, so he had hoped he could persuade her to stay again.

Harimoto also criticized Toguchi over the hiring of a board public relations officer—former Star-Bulletin education reporter Alex Da Silva—while the department was in a fiscal crisis.

Harimoto said he respects Da Silva but questions why the decision was made without board input.

“;I am criticizing the process,”; Harimoto said. “;The authority of the Board of Education rests with the board and not with any individual member.”;

Toguchi responded, “;Everybody's entitled to their opinion. I can respect where they are coming from.”;

But, he added, “;This kind of distraction we had tonight isn't going to help anyone.”;