The fate of Hawaii school superintendent Christina Kishimoto hangs in the balance after members of the Hawaii Board of Education (BOE) pushed it back during a recent gathering, Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Citing time restraints and a rush to finalize a plan that calls for the full reopening of elementary schools by Monday, March 22, board members agreed to hold the Kishimoto debate for another day.
Kishimoto, who joined the state Department of Education in 2017, has come under heavy criticism of late over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and complaints about her communication style.
With Kishimoto earning an annual salary of $240,000, the BOE had been scheduled to begin talks about her future going forward. The issue will now be taken up at a meeting to be convened no later than Thursday, March 18.
“Because this is such a critical topic, the board needs time to fully discuss the issues we heard in testimony,” board chairwoman Catherine Payne told the Honolulu Civil Beat.
Teachers, principals and educate advocates alike have all blasted Kishimoto over what they perceive to be a lack of transparency over her handling of the pandemic. She has also faced growing criticism on issues ranging from her stance on adequate spacing between desks to her ability to effectively present a sound strategy for reopening the state’s 257 public that serve its more than 162,000 students.
“We believe the pandemic was the superintendent’s opportunity to rise to the challenge and do the best job for our students, but the superintendent did not provide effective leadership,” testified Cheri Nakamura, head of the He’e Coalition.
BOE officials said they don’t have a date etched in stone for determining Kishimoto’s fate. Meanwhile, she has dismissed much of the back and forth chatter as a distraction.
“We’re talking about the academic wellness of our students, social and emotional, mental health wellness,” she said. “That’s what we need to focus on and that’s what we’re doing.”