Maggie Cox

Party: Nonpartisan

Age: 65

Job: Retired Principal. Current BOE member.

Born in Pryor, Oklahoma. In Hawaii since 1969, arrived from Oklahoma

Lives: Lihu'e

Contact: 808 245-6839, coxj024@hawaii.rr.com

Job history past 10 years:
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle - Principal 2000-12/30 2003. King Kaumuali'i Elementary School - Principal 1990 - 2000.

Ever run for public office? When? Outcome?
Present Board of Education member.

1) Why are you running for office?
I want to help our schools help our students achieve and be able to compete with anyone anywhere in the world.

2) How should the DOE deal with budget cuts? Where should reductions occur?
I'm in favor of cutting a percentage off the top of the state budget which would then allow complexes to decide which programs to cut rather than the state deciding which programs to cut.

3) How should the DOE modify its school funding formula to more fairly distribute money to schools?
More state resources such as resource teacher positions and funds need to go to complexes so that the schools and Complex Area Superintendents would decide what is needed.

4) How should a teacher drug-testing program be administered and funded?
The department must allocate funds to set up the procedures and personnel to run the program. The department must pay the "For Cause" part of the program; however, the governor must allocate funds for the random part as this was not the Board's initiative.

5) How many children do you have, and did they attend public or private school?
I have two children who attended Wilcox Elementary and Kauai High and Intermediate School on Kauai. Both are now engineers. I have two grandchildren attending Wilcox Elementary and one step-grandson who attends Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle.

6) What's the No. 1 initiative you would pursue in 2009?
Working with the Superintendent to provide the necessary resources to complexes and schools to increase student achievement.