A year after the state Board of Education held its first meeting following its makeover to an appointed body, members are garnering praise for setting a new course for a policymaking body long criticized for getting too involved in the daily operations of schools.

But some stakeholders, including the teachers union, have less favorable reviews of the board, made up of business leaders, attorneys and other professionals chosen by the governor.

Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe said the board hasn’t lived up to its pledges to remain independent and accessible, and that the greatest concern about moving from an elected to an appointed board — that it would give too much power to the governor — "has proven to be correct."

"Checks and balances have been lost. ‘My way or no way’ has become the new way. And we believe it is the wrong way," said Okabe, who has raised issue with recent board decisions, including one aimed at moving the state closer to a performance management system for teachers.

Okabe and other teachers have also criticized the board’s practice of holding meetings during the workday, saying it makes it difficult for educators and working parents to attend.

Others, though, said the appointed board has stepped up communication with the community, including by holding a series of "talk story" gatherings, and has approached issues with a singular focus on improving schools.

Ann Davis, executive director of Hawaii Education Matters, a parent advocacy group, said the board organized itself — with student achievement, finance and audit committees — in a sensible way that helps get things done.

"It’s a journey. They have a lot of work to do," Davis said. "But I think that the way they’ve been setting it up has been smart. They’ve tried really hard to truly be the policymaking body that they are."

Over the last year the board has focused on big goals for the Department of Education and made boosting student achievement the centerpiece of its agenda.

The nine-member volunteer board has approved tougher graduation standards, helped implement a plan to audit DOE functions and programs, reorganized the BOE’s offices and reduced staff to save money, worked on drafting a comprehensive strategic plan and kicked off a review of the board’s hundreds of policies to determine whether any are unneeded or outdated.

Cheryl Lupenui, chairwoman of the BOE’s Student Achievement Committee, said given the steep learning curve for the new board, the last year has been, in part, about "understanding what our roles are."

"When I look back at the year, I think to me the most important thing we did was to become a board and own our responsibility as a Board of Education," she said.

The board has also had its share of controversy.

Most recently the board drew the ire of HSTA members for unanimously approving three policies that require the Department of Education to adopt new evaluations for teachers and principals that include student academic data, and to apply those evaluations in issues such as compensation, tenure and dismissal.

Earlier this year the board was criticized for its handling of a bid to convert Laupahoehoe School to a charter school. The Charter School Review Panel denied its application following concerns from teachers, parents and community members, but the board reversed the panel’s decision. Three longtime members of the review panel resigned in protest.

And just a few months after board members took their seats, the governor, DOE and BOE moved to unilaterally implement a "last, best and final" contract for teachers after negotiations with the HSTA fell apart. Teachers continue to work under the "last, best" offer, which includes wage reductions and higher health insurance premiums.

"I think the last year has been trial by fire for these board members," said state Sen. Jill Tokuda, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

"I think they really have started to earn their stripes," Tokuda said, adding that the board will play a significant role in the coming year in pushing forward key education reforms and making significant changes to how charter schools are governed.

BOE Chairman Don Hor­ner said the board’s approach has been to listen to educators, parents and others before making key decisions. The board held an average of six public meetings a month, and has also worked to increase collaboration with groups such as the Hawaii Student Council, Hor­ner said.

Lupenui said that over the coming year her goal is to continue to build relationships with community groups. "There’s so much wisdom and wealth and assets that we are not fully taking advantage of in our community," she said.

Nancy Budd, the board’s Kauai member, is spearheading an audit of the BOE’s hundreds of policies and said this year the board will take on the work of deciding whether any are unneeded or should be amended.

"Our overall goal is to ensure that we have policies that are essential — aligned to our mission, manageable in number and which support the strategic goals of the board and the department," she said.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the switch to an appointed BOE in 2010. Gov. Neil Abercrombie picked this nine-member board.

"They have clear sight of their goal, which is to improve outcomes for our children and our community," Abercrombie said in a statement to the Star-Advertiser. "They can make decisions like this because they do not have to take political considerations into account as appointed members."

The true measure of the board — whether it can make reform goals a reality — is still to come, said state Rep. Roy Takumi, chairman of the House Education Committee.

"This board has been able to make some tough decisions," he said. "But passing a policy, passing a directive, is one thing. Being able to see it through is another."