Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Outreach a priority for education board

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer

Laura H. Thielen

The state Board of Education will hold 30 town hall meetings across the Islands in the next 10 months in an effort to counter criticism that the school board is too remote from the people it represents.

The community meetings are required under an education reform law approved by the state Legislature this year. Lawmakers expect school board members to hold at least 14 community meetings a year, but Breene Harimoto, the board's chairman, has pushed for more so board members can reach out to more people and cover more ground.

The first round of meetings, which begin tomorrow at McKinley High School, will include explanations of the reform law that will bring a new student-spending formula and new community councils to public schools.

The Honolulu-based school board has been taking many of its formal meetings on the road, including frequent trips to the Neighbor Islands, in an attempt at greater outreach. The town hall meetings will give people the chance to question board members and raise issues outside the confines of formal meetings.

Last week, two board members raised questions about the meetings after learning that the Hawai'i State Teachers Association had wanted to stage similar forums with educators to help Democratic candidates in the November elections. The forums were never held, but a Republican attorney filed an ethics complaint against Democratic lawmakers over whether they helped plan the forums with state resources.

Board members Laura H. Thielen and Shelton Jim On asked that state Department of Education officials avoid similar meetings until ethical questions had been settled. But Thielen later acknowledged that it would be unrealistic and unfair to make any changes before this year's elections.

Instead, Thielen has asked that, in the future, DOE officials be prohibited from appearing at meetings hosted by lawmakers 45 days before an election without the approval of the school board.

Thielen said the policy could protect "the reputation of our public education system, and it would begin the process of removing education from state politics."

Harimoto said the board would consider Thielen's request. But the chairman also said he was disappointed in the way Thielen raised the issue by implying that the board's town hall meetings are intended to help Democrats. He issued a memo last Thursday on decorum and said he was saddened and embarrassed by the acrimony on the board.

"I just ask you all to get beyond this," Harimoto told board members last Thursday.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.