Hawaii Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto has lost the support of the state’s principals as the union has voiced opposition to renewing her contract.
The union’s actions come on the heels of a similar action by the state’s teachers. The principals cite Kishimoto’s lack of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the loss of confidence.
The superintendent was provided with a lifeline by the Board of Education committee which was scheduled to discuss the contract and make a recommendation deferred after running out of time. A meeting has been scheduled in two weeks to discuss the contract, the Star Advertiser reported.
Also coming out against a contract was The Hui for Excellence in Education otherwise known as the HE’E Coalition. Among its complaints against Kishimoto was “a lack of data and transparency of information; inadequate guidance and support to schools, especially during the pandemic; and confusing and delayed communication to stakeholders.”
Kishimoto’s contract runs through Saturday, July 31. She took over as superintendent on Aug. 1, 2017 on a three-year contract and has received a one-year extension during her tenure.
Kaneohe Elementary School Principal Derek Minakami, president of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, said it was difficult to criticize the superintendent publicly. He also said he believed in her vision for empowering schools. In the end, it came down to the principal’s having to work through the pandemic without guidance and learning about decisions after they were made.
“While we appreciate the goal of empowering school leaders, when it comes to health and safety, there should not be much variability in what is expected,” he said during the meeting. “Instead we hear of decisions once they have already been made and after they have been released to the public. We are left to make plans without clear guidance, leading to a disparity of implementation.”