Gov. David Ige has selected retired high school principal Darrel Galera to head a team that will develop a blueprint consistent with a new federal law that gives the state more authority over public education.

“The new Every Student Succeeds Act is really an opportunity for the states to take back control of our public schools,” Ige said at a news conference. “The law returns authority over education to governors, districts, educators and parents, and our priority is to make certain that it remains with them.”

The governor will appoint 16 members to join Galera on the Governor’s Team on the Every Student Succeeds Act. It is supposed to represent all stakeholders in public education, and April 22 is the deadline to apply.

The team will assess the current public school system and identify what needs to be changed, Ige said.

Board of Education Chairman Lance Mizumoto, who appeared with the governor at the news conference, said he was excited about working with the new group.

“This is a great day for all of us,” Mizumoto said. “This is an opportunity for us to all collaborate as community stakeholders in improving public education.”

An Education Summit will be held this summer to solicit input on key planks in the plan, Ige said. Town hall meetings will also be scheduled to share information and collect community input.

The federal law, which runs over 1,000 pages, was passed late last year and covers topics including school accountability, teacher evaluations, student testing, support of troubled schools and family engagement.

Hawaii already meets the academic standards required by the new law with the adoption of the Hawaii Common Core for English and Math in 2010 and this year’s adoption of Next Generation of Science Standards.

Ige emphasized the role of the governor in the new initiative. The law is scheduled to take effect next summer.

“By law the governor of each state must be involved in and must sign off of the new state education plans that ESSA requires,” he said. “This is a significant opportunity to change public education in Hawaii, and we definitely are grasping it.”

His news release said the governor will have final approval over the plan, but the law’s actual provisions are less sweeping.

The legislation requires the state Department of Education to “consult in a timely and meaningful manner with the governor or appropriate officials from the governor’s office” in developing the plan and also requires it to give him 30 days to sign it. However, if he declines to sign it, the law directs the state educational agency to submit the plan to the federal government without his signature.

Asked specifically what he thinks is wrong with Hawaii’s public school system that needs to be changed, Ige demurred, saying, “I don’t want to prejudge.”

“We will be inviting the public to participate,” he said. “The task team will include representatives of all stakeholders in public education.”

The new law is set to take effect next summer, and the Department of Education has already been preparing for the transition, according to public schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.

“We have been sharing information (about the law) with the board, the Legislature, our employees and the public,” she said. “So far we’ve engaged with more than 100 of our principals and will continue to meet with stakeholders. We look forward to learning more about the governor’s plans and coordinating efforts to advance education for our keiki.”

In 2014 Galera, a retired Moanalua High School principal, criticized the leadership of the Department of Education after a survey of 160 principals showed discontent with Hawaii’s centralized system of governance and the time required for new teacher and principal evaluations.

Asked whether he saw his new role as leader of the governor’s team as an opportunity to empower principals, Galera deferred to the governor.

“I think this is about the governor’s leadership and vision,” Galera said. “This is a historic law. The opportunity is unprecedented.”

The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, which required schools to ensure by 2014 that every single student was proficient in English and math.

“We do know that No Child Left Behind assured that every public school would fail because it was unrealistic and set standards that we knew no school in the country could meet,” Ige said.

While No Child Left Behind was lambasted for relying on testing and imposing sanctions on schools that didn’t measure up, the new law does not change federal requirements for testing, according to an analysis on the state Department of Education’s website.

Students still must be assessed annually in grades three through 8, and once in high school in reading and math. They must also take statewide science tests in elementary, middle and high school; and English language learners must take annual proficiency tests.

To apply to serve on the governor’s new team, visit forms.ehawaii.gov/pages/board-survey.