Darwin Ching, an attorney and former social studies teacher, was appointed yesterday by Gov. Linda Lingle to represent O'ahu on the state Board of Education.

Ching will fill a vacancy left when board member and veteran educator Shannon Ajifu died in June. He will serve out the remainder of her term, which expires in November 2006.

Ching ran unsuccessfully for the school board last year as part of a slate of candidates who supported Lingle's failed plan to split the state Department of Education into seven school districts with locally elected school boards. Ching made the cut during the primary but lost in the November general election among six finalists for three O'ahu at-large seats. None of the five candidates on Lingle's slate was elected.

Ching said yesterday that he would focus on student discipline and making sure public schools are safe. But he said he would also be an advocate for the governor's education reform ideas. He called his appointment "a humbling experience."

"Of course I'll advocate what I think are appropriate reforms, and I will support the governor's reforms because I think they make sense," Ching said at a news conference announcing his appointment.

There are 13 elected members and one unelected student member on the school board, which oversees policy for schools statewide.

"I think he's going to be an outstanding member of the board. I've known him for a long time," Lingle said. "And what I would say most about Darwin is he's a person who's able to articulate ideas clearly and also has a great ability to work with people from all backgrounds and have them work for a common, positive goal."

As an attorney in private practice, Ching concentrates on criminal, personal injury, business and family law cases. He formerly was an attorney in the city prosecutor's office and the state attorney general's office.

Ching was a teacher at Kaimuki Middle School before he began his legal career. He went to Kalani High School and received his bachelor's degree, education diploma and law degree from the University of Hawai'i.

"It's awfully tough being a teacher, especially because we've made it too litigious," Ching said. "In the old days, the teachers had a lot more discretion. Now if they do something, they get sued, so they get really scared about being forward. And I think we need to support them and tell them they have rights also, and balance it all out."

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.