State BOE to start search for new schools chief

The state Board of Education will search for a new schools superintendent to succeed Kathryn Mata­yoshi when her contract ends June 30.

Officials will discuss beginning the search process at their meeting Tuesday, a board statement said.

“This is an ideal time to transition to new leadership that will help the DOE continue its efforts to reduce the achievement gap and prioritize achievement for all students,” said BOE Chairman Lance Mizumoto.

Department of Education spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said in a statement that Matayoshi has a continued desire to serve Hawaii’s keiki.

“While she is willing to continue to serve as the superintendent, she respects the role and responsibility of the board to make appointments,” Dela Cruz said. Matayoshi was not available for comment.

The board will form a committee to determine the process and a search committee, with the goal of having a replacement starting on July 1.

Last month, the board gave Matayoshi, who took over as acting superintendent in January 2010, a positive annual performance evaluation, saying she exceeds expectations in “overall rating” and in “overall management abilities,” and fully meets expectations in “performance objectives and program accomplishments.”

However, critics have questioned her leadership. State Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa-Iroquois Point) said Matayoshi has been unresponsive in dealing with overcrowding at Kapolei and Campbell high schools. He said the governor released money for a new high school, but the DOE hasn’t made a decision for a year.

In 2014, a majority of principals complained in a survey about a lack of support and of the “top-down” management that reduced their decision-making ability at schools. In addition, they complained of sweeping academic reforms that dragged down morale.

Matayoshi received a three-year contract after the survey results were released.

In the spring, Gov. David Ige passed over Matayoshi for his advisory group tasked with developing a “blueprint” to transform Hawaii’s public school system. Last week, Ige appointed retired Principal Darrel Galera, who criticized Matayoshi after the 2014 survey, to the board. Galera is also head of Ige’s task force.

Ige has selected eight of the nine voting members on the board, which appoints the superintendent of the nation’s 10th-largest school district, with 180,000 students.

Former board Chairman Don Horner said in an email that Matayoshi made a “major contribution to public education” in Hawaii, and that the state continues to receive national recognition as a result of her leadership.

He said significant progress was made in student achievement and systems and financial accountability.