StarBulletin.com

House committee considers bills that allow governor to appoint BOE


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POSTED: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

State House Finance Committee members last night were considering putting on the election ballot a constitutional amendment that would give the governor the power to appoint the state Board of Education.

But the idea as expressed in a couple of measures has been opposed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association and elected school board members who say it concentrates too much power in the hands of the governor.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's administration said the proposals in Senate bills 2570 and 2571 give the appearance of reform but continue to keep a layer of bureaucracy with the board maintaining power to appoint the school superintendent.

The committee deferred action on the bill until 2 p.m. today.

SB 2570 would ask voters to allow the governor to appoint the school board, which then would appoint the school superintendent. SB 2571 calls for a vote on whether board members would be appointed by the governor from a list of qualified candidates presented by a selection advisory council, and the board would then appoint the superintendent.

“;We don't believe they go far enough,”; said Linda Smith, Lingle's senior policy adviser.

Lingle wants the constitutional amendment to allow the governor to appoint the school superintendent as a Cabinet-level position that has the power of the school board.

Under the Lingle administration's proposals, the governor would be able to appoint the superintendent upon the advice and consent of the state Senate.

The superintendent would appoint three deputy directors, including one to oversee the charter school administrative office.

The Lingle administration has said the changes will improve the state's ability to effectively manage its educational resources.

The administration has said it would also hold the governor directly accountable for the condition of public education.

Smith said the fact that the bills to restructure the board have gotten as far as they have is recognition that state education is a “;broken system.”;

State education board Chairman Garrett Toguchi said Senate bills 2570 and 2571 would give the governor too much power in public education.

Toguchi said an appointed board would be partisan in nature and subject to the political affiliation of the governor.

He said an elected board has a diverse cross section of viewpoints.

Toguchi said under Lingle's initial budget proposal, she would have likely furloughed teachers and other employees 36 days each year.

Teachers union President Wil Okabe said his organization supports an elected board, which he said is more likely to represent the views of voters.

SB 2570 was supported by the Hawaii Business Roundtable and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

The group Hawaii's Children First, including former Democratic Govs. George Ariyoshi, Ben Cayetano and John Waihee, support a school board appointed by the governor.

The group said the governor would become accountable for the condition of public schools and that states with appointed school boards have performed better in terms of achievement.

Rep. Lynn Finnegan, House minority leader, said in a prepared statement that she supports a change that allows an appointed superintendent in the governor's Cabinet.

“;Tinkering with a broken system is not going to fix it,”; said Finnegan (R, Lower Pearl Ridge-Moanalua).