Charter schools director picked

Advertiser Staff

Ending a protracted and sometimes bitter process, the state Board of Education agreed yesterday to hire an executive director to oversee the state's charter schools.

Dewey Kim, a lawyer who once worked for the state attorney general, will serve as an administrator and advocate for the charter schools with the BOE, state agencies and the Legislature. "I really appreciate the opportunity," Kim said after the board announced the decision.

Charter schools, which are encouraged to experiment and are free of most state regulations, have been waiting for an executive director to provide more structure to the broader financial and operational issues common to the schools.

Charter school leaders recommended Kim for the job a few months ago, but the BOE asked that they submit more than one candidate for consideration, which touched off several weeks of negotiations before the board ultimately agreed to interview only Kim.