Hawaii Governor Appoints Board of Education

Katherine Poythress/Civil Beat

UPDATED 3/31/11 6:10 p.m.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Tuesday put his stamp on a new Hawaii State Board of Education, naming eight members and picking its new chairman. The appointments represent a significant step in the governor taking responsibility for Hawaii's schools.

"I think the people of the state have indicated that they wanted another direction for education," Abercrombie said. "To have these folks who have made this kind of commitment to the young people, the parents and the taxpayers of this state is something that has filled me with deep gratitude."

Among the new board's top priorities: An audit of the department and the board to make sure taxpayer dollars are being put to their most effective use in the Department of Education.

The initiative for an appointed Board of Education gained steam last year after the debacle of Furlough Fridays, which caused students to lose 17 instructional days in the 2009-2010 school year. Voters passed a constitutional amendment to replace the elected board with one appointed by the governor, but a process for selecting the new board was not in place until March this year.

The chairman of the board will be First Hawaiian Bank Chairman and Chief Executive Don Horner. Other picks include former KGMB news anchor and Kapiolani Medical Center Director of Philanthropy Kim Gennaula, and Keith Amemiya, executive administrator and secretary to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.

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