Schools chief keeps her job, with a condition

The state Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to retain schools Superintendent Kathryn Mata­yo­shi for another three years, but before her contract is finalized she has to come back to the board with steps she will take to address concerns raised in a scathing independent survey of public school principals.

With Matayoshi’s current contract ending June 30, the board — which hadn’t launched a search for a replacement — appeared ready to renew her contract Tuesday at its monthly board meeting.

But before going behind closed doors to take action, board members heard testimony from retired principal Darrel Galera and University of Hawaii law professor Randy Roth, who along with other retired principals released a survey last month that found an overwhelming majority of principals say they lack the support and autonomy to act in the best interests of their schools. The principals also said they hesitate to speak out for fear of retaliation.

A total of 160 principals responded to the anonymous survey, representing 63 percent of Hawaii’s 255 public schools.

They said their ability to make decisions at the campus level has been stymied by "top-down" management by the Department of Education, and that sweeping academic reforms the state pledged for its federal Race to the Top grant have dragged down morale at their schools.

Roth said the survey results deserve attention before any decision is made on whether Mata­yo­shi should continue in the post.

"I don’t think you can make a decision that will be respected by the public unless the superintendent has shared with the public generally, and with the principals and teachers in particular, her thoughts and concerns about the recent principals survey," he testified ahead of the board’s vote.

Board members assured Galera, who administered the survey using principals’ personal email addresses, that they take the concerns seriously.

"I don’t want you to go away thinking that there is not a desire for us to all move in the same path," said board Vice Chairman Brian De Lima, who called the results bothersome.

"From sitting on this board for the past three years, it’s clear to me that principals have a tremendous responsibility. They have a lot of hard work," De Lima added. "We probably expect superhero efforts on their part and accomplishments on their part, and I think that’s part of the frustration."

The board decided on the contract stipulation during an executive session that lasted more than 21⁄2 hours.

Board Chairman Don Hor­ner said afterward the decision reflects the board’s commitment to address the concerns. "The board and superintendent agreed that communication and collaboration are an important component as we move forward. The superintendent was fully supportive of continuing that proc­ess."

Galera said afterward that the decision doesn’t sit well with him.

"I feel that the leader of the public education system needs to be the one to take responsibility, not have the board require her to come up with a report," he said. "As a principal, if a majority of my teachers say something’s wrong, I have a problem. I need to take action."

Still, he said he’s hopeful principals will have an opportunity to safely express their concerns and have serious problems addressed.

Before the contract renewal was announced, Mata­yo­shi told reporters she would be responding to some of the concerns in the principals survey.

"It’s one thing to know that people are concerned about something. Now I want to know how are we going to make it better, because that’s what it’s about," she said.

"Everybody can say, ‘We’ve been listening, we’ve been listening,’ but what I want to be able to do is say, ‘We’ve been listening, and this is what we’re going to do, this is the action being taken to change the teacher evaluation,’ for example, or some of the other issues that have come up," Mata­yo­shi added. "Let’s take that feedback and turn it into real modifications that support our schools and makes a difference for them."

Last fall, Mata­yo­shi received an overall "exceptional" job performance rating from the board for the second year of her existing three-year contract. (Though she took over as acting superintendent in January 2010 and was officially appointed to the position nine months later, she did not receive a three-year contract until June 2011.)

"The department has made significant changes and continues to make positive prog­ress under Superintendent Mata­yo­shi’s leadership," Hor­ner said in a statement. "During her term, the DOE has faced significant challenges, including budget reductions, union issues, federal mandates, and implementation of a new comprehensive strategic plan. She has reorganized the entire department to be in alignment with our strategic objectives, which are focused on student success."

A new salary has not yet been determined, in part because a bill awaiting the governor’s signature would raise the potential salary for the position to $250,000 from $150,000.

A $150,000 statutory cap has kept Mata­yo­shi’s salary at that level the past three years, while at least two school principals earn more than she does.

Hawaii, the ninth-largest public school district in the country, ranks lowest among superintendent salaries nationally. The next lowest-paying district is Palm Beach County, Fla., the 12th-largest district, at $225,000. Gwinnett County Public Schools in Atlanta, No. 13 in size, pays the highest at $387,934.

"We are very unusual because I am both a state and a district superintendent," Mata­yo­shi said. "I think that’s actually a strength of Hawaii, it’s a real opportunity. But when you look at the salaries, it’s a little depressing to be $150,000 or $200,000 below your colleagues in other states."