I am a proud graduate of Waipahu High School who has been honored to serve as a teacher, principal and state administrator in the Department of Education.
While I loved working with the children and the many dedicated professionals who did their best to meet the children’s needs, I watched with dismay as our school system got more bureaucratized, and central administrators increasingly insisted on blind compliance with one-size-fits-all dictates.
I am convinced that students would benefit greatly if a much larger share of the education budget got to the schools, and school-level professionals were empowered to do what works best for the students in their classrooms.
That is why I was so pleased when Gov. David Ige shared a vision of a schools-centered system during the campaign, and then, once elected, made sure his appointees to the state Board of Education shared that vision.
The transformation of the existing top-down bureaucracy into a schools-centered system begins with that vision, but it also requires a superintendent who is personally committed to that transformation.
When the governor asked me to chair the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Task Force and develop a blueprint for achieving his vision, I did not hesitate. I also did not hesitate when he later asked me to serve the remaining months for a Board of Education member who had resigned unexpectedly.
By then the board had already decided not to renew the current superintendent’s contract, and had begun to talk about the search for a successor.
Initially I had no intention to seek the superintendent position. But last week — after serving on the board for four months — I decided to apply for the position.
I did so because I was struck by the realization that implementation of the recently completed Hawaii Blueprint for Public Education is now fully dependent on a new superintendent who will willingly shift resources and power over day-to-day decisions from the central office to the schools. I did not discuss any of this ahead of time with the governor or any of my fellow board members.
I know in my heart that I did nothing wrong, and I believe that my brief service on the school board should not be a major factor — one way or the other — in my candidacy.
Nonetheless, I have reconsidered and will not be applying so the search can continue without further distraction.
My overarching goal is to transform our education system to provide our students with educational opportunities that are second to none. My sincere apology to our governor, the members of the Board of Education, and to everyone else affected by the timing of my actions.
Darrel Galera, a retired state educator, is a former interim member of the Board of Education.
