Name
Organization
Agenda Item
EXCUSED:
Shanty Asher
Dwight Takeno
ALSO PRESENT:
Kyla Musso, Student Representative
Colonel Angenene Robertson, Military Representative
Robert Hull, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of State Boards of Education
Alison Kunishige, Executive Director
Kenyon Tam, Board Analyst
Regina Pascua, Executive Secretary
Lady Garrett, Secretary
Cheri Nakamura, HE‘E Coalition, stated that she would stand on her written testimony.
Logan Okita, Hawaii State Teachers Association, testified that although the special meeting is not about COVID-19 impacts she expressed hope that the Board would keep testimonies in mind while going through its training.
Board Chairperson Payne stated that the Board is a member of NASBE, the only national organization dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education. She explained that the purpose of today’s training is to build capacity for effective leadership and governance by establishing the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and how the Board can lead for lasting change. She introduced Robert Hull, President and Chief Executive Officer of NASBE.
Hull explained that the purpose of today’s special meeting is to have a conversation about state boards and that the title of the presentation is building capacity for effective leadership and governance. Hull asked each Board member to share three words that came to mind when reflecting on their reasons for accepting the invitation to serve as a Board member when offered the opportunity.
Board Chairperson Payne shared that her three words are duty, aloha and commitment.
Board Member Kaimana Barcarse shared that his three words are kuleana, haumana, and loli, which translates to responsibility, students, and change.
Board Member Kili Namau’u shared that her three words are Hawaiian immersion education, because it was her opportunity to offer a voice for students learning the Hawaiian language exclusively.
Board Member Lynn Fallin shared that her three words are future, concern, and giving back or responsibility.
Board Student Representative Kyla Musso shared that her three words are service, honor, and opportunity.
Board Vice Chairperson Kenneth Uemura shared that his three words are giving, experience, and education.
Board Member Bruce Voss shared that his three words are time to serve. He stated that as a public school graduate, parent of students who attend public school and husband of a teacher, public education has made him what he is today and it was time to give back.
Board Member Bill Arakaki shared that his three words are service to students, community and ohana, kuleana (responsibility), and equity for all students to succeed in life and accomplish their dreams.
Hull expressed his appreciation and stated that everyone has shared that they want to be a part of the solution and are committed to excellence. He stated that the Board needs to look at individual passions and congeal as a Board to move forward by building dual capacity because the role of the Board is to lead and to govern.
Hull explained that there are six objectives in the roles of leading and governing: (1) explore the primary roles of education in the education policy landscapes; (2) examine the roles of individual members; (3) identify the levers of influence the Board can use to establish and support an aggressive, results driven policy agenda; (4) explore processes for implementing and sustaining this agenda; (5) examine how the board can hold themselves accountable for progress toward mission, goals, and vision; and, (6) establish desired outcomes.
Hull stated that the Board has powers established by the Hawaii State Constitution and should consider how to deliver on the promise of an education system based on the Board’s authority. He explained that NASBE’s mission is to develop, support, and empower citizen leaders on state boards of education to strengthen public education systems so students of all backgrounds and circumstances are prepared to succeed in school, work, and life.
Hull emphasized the term “citizen leaders,” which refers to being appointed by the Governor to represent the voice of the citizens of the state and to turn this voice into a vision and mission. He explained that the term “systems” is used because the Board is a systems thinking organization that does not get into the minutiae of the system.
Hull shared a story about how two people were walking together along a beach where thousands of starfish were stranded following a storm. One person was walking along and throwing starfish into the ocean one at a time. When the other person asked why he was doing that because it will not make a difference, h his response was that it made a difference to the ones he saved. Hull stated that, in this metaphor, the starfish are the students, and the Board is responsible, not for individual students, but for the ecosystem that the starfish live in. He stated that the Board needs to foster an ecosystem that allows students to grow, prosper, and be healthy.
Hull focused on the next term of NASBE’s mission, which is “all” because while Board members represent different geographical areas or communities, once you are on the Board, the focus is on all students.
Hull stated that everything should be focused on equity and excellence and what that means for all students. Hull stated that the definition of an equitable education is one where all students receive what they need to thrive in school.
Hull stated that the Board’s work revolves around three areas: (1) college, career, or civic readiness; (2) safe and healthy schools; and (3) developing and sustaining teachers and leaders. He noted that core values should be rooted in equity and excellence to create a healthy education policy ecosystem.
Hull requested that Board members share their ideas of what policy means to them.
Board Chairperson Payne stated that policy is the values of the state, which should be used to develop practices for smaller parts of the system.
Board Vice Chairperson Uemura stated that policy is overall guidance, which is part of Board governance and the Board’s responsibility.
Hull explained that many people think of dictionary definition of the word, which is the course or principle of action adopted by the government and institutionalizing the system. He challenged the Board to think of policy as “a sustained course of action toward desired results” and how the Board can use the power of policy to drive a sustained course of action for desired results. Hull stated that the Board needs to identify the results to know where it wants to go so that when the Board chooses the next superintendent and writes the strategic plan, policy will drive Board leadership and governance.
Hull stated that the power of policy is not the only power of the Board particularly in instances where the Board does not have direct authority. The Board also has the power of the question. He explained that the Board can ask the right questions of other government bodies and also has the power to convene.
Hull stated that the power of policy leads to the power of the question and to convene, but real power is found in the power of collective action. He noted that people will deliver and own what they have had a hand in creating.
Hull went on to explain how the Board takes a group of members and leads collectively. He explained that the Board is one body and in order to move forward and coalesce as a group, the Board will need to review moving from individual leadership to collective leadership. Hull noted that the individual voices of members communicate individual expertise, but boards which have been successful were able to determine common goals and achieve the end product through a sustained course of action.
Hull noted that the Board’s voice matters because the Board is looking to choose a new leader and establish a strategic plan. He also stated that every state has received more than seven times its normal allocation of federal funds for a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet unprecedented needs, which provide the Board with an opportunity to develop leadership legacy moments.
Hull reviewed things that state board members should do when exercising their individual leadership voice: (1) Represent all students and families; (2) focus on policy maker role; (3) maintain student achievement as your north star; (4) view all decisions with an equity lens; (5) devote the time and do your homework; (6) question - always; (7) make decisions; and (8) understand you have no authority beyond the board table. He also reviewed things that state boards should do with their collective leadership voice: (1) serve as the citizen voice in education; (2) lead through policy - not implementation or programs; (3) lead with fidelity to your strategic plan; (4) remain future oriented; (5) avoid mission creep and priority overload; (6) build on what’s come before; (7) check your party ticket at the door.
Board Member Fallin stated that she is grappling with the Board’s role because the Board has spent a lot of time on operations and the Board meetings have become a place where the community shares its problems. Board Member Fallin requested more information on how to systematically manage the discussion so people feel heard and solutions result. She noted that she would like to see balance between policy and operational problems and asked how to move forward on the governance structure and effective operations. Board Member Fallin expressed that there is nowhere else for the community to go and the legislature is looking for someone who will deal with the issues.
Hull replied that there are some issues inherent with being a single state board because most states will have an intermediary that will address more operational issues.. He explained that the role in leadership is policy and operations deals with process. Hull explained that when hiring a new superintendent it is the Board’s opportunity to provide expectations and include in the search a clear expectation that candidates are able to develop processes to keep these types of issues from rising to the level of the state board. He also shared that as a single statewide system, inherently, the Board will need to deal with some operations. Hull stated that in order to keep this to a minimum, the Board needs to establish processes so it does not become something that blindsides the Board or that happens regularly.
Board Member Fallin asked if establishing processes refers to system-wide instructions, structures, and procedures. Hull confirmed that is what he is referring to. Board Member Fallin noted that the role of the Board is to develop and support policies that support movement in this direction. Hull confirmed that is correct.
Board Member Arakaki stated that teachers, students, parents, administrators and members of the public will share their needs with Board members. He asked how the Board should include others in the collaborative effort when developing policy. Board Member Arakaki also asked when the new superintendent establishes implementation process, how does the Board ensure it does not overburden teachers and principals while also holding systems accountable and monitor what is working. Board Member Arakaki noted that it is challenging everywhere and asked for some examples that have worked for a single system.
Hull replied that as a single system, the Board will have issues that other boards do not encounter. He explained that one key focus is how to assemble stakeholders because stakeholder engagement is a large part of the Board’s responsibility. He explained that he has found that in places where this happened most beneficially, there is a process that allows for ongoing stakeholder engagement, not only when there is a problem. Hull stated that there needs to be a process for stakeholder engagement so that input is gathered regularly and in an organized, timely, and formal way. He noted that in the absence of an effective stakeholder engagement process, the Board will have chaotic interactions because there will always be crises. Having a stakeholder engagement process will allow the Board to develop a relationships, to become a trusted entity, and to move forward with a results-driven agenda that relies heavily on relationships and trust.
Board Member Voss noted that he would like to follow up on Board Member Fallin’s question because it is an important issue for the Board. He explained that after serving for five years there is no doubt the tenor of public testimony and input has changed since March of 2020 becoming more passionate, fervent, and louder with many individuals convinced they are right and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Board Member Voss noted that often the Board has periodically lapsed into micromanagement. He expressed a desire to develop processes and asked, within the context of upcoming meetings, what the Board could do to avoid lapsing into this type of micromanagement.
Hull replied that this is the situation, not just in Hawaii, but across the nation. He stated that in public forums, voices of disagreement are louder than they have ever been and people feel more empowered to share disagreement. Hull stated that on one hand it is good to have public engagement, but on the other hand, the inability to come to a consensus and empathy seems to be at an all-time low. He opined that it is not wise to weigh in and make a decision when it is someone else's responsibility to do so. The Board should avoid the temptation of micromanaging and doing someone else’s job for them; however, if the person is unwilling or not doing their job then that becomes a personnel issue. Hull stated that his counsel is to try to stay in your lane and listen, but he has known other boards to place parameters around public testimony and comment, for example, if it is not on the agenda then the Board will not discuss these issues until the Board can firmly state what it owns.
Board Member Fallin stated that, there is a limited amount of time during Board meetings to have a full discussion and asked for strategic ways to develop agendas to accomplish policy-setting goals. She also asked if focusing on impact information is an effective strategy or best practice.
Hull stated that there never seems to be enough time to have the necessary conversations in an effective way. He asked if the Board has a robust and effective committee structure because this is where Board members can discuss details, and the committee reports its recommendations to the full Board. Hull stated that the idea is to deal with issues by dividing and conquering them. He stated that another opportunity is in Board workshops where there is an open and transparent meeting focusing on impact data, because data is your friend but does not always need to be presented during meetings.
Board Member Fallin expressed her love for data and stated that it is important to fulfill our role, but she asked how the data can help the Board to implement its role with integrity and how Board members can ask the right questions within the given time.
Hull shared points on leading for lasting change that can help a board get to its desired results.
Board Chairperson Payne asked for more information on how Hull reframed the essential question from “where do we see education moving in the future and how do we plan for it” to “where can we, the Hawaii State Board of Education take education” as it makes critical and essential decisions on the superintendent search and strategic plan.
Hull explained that when making decisions on a new superintendent or developing a strategic plan people generally try to think about where they think they will be in the next five years and what needs to be done, but the right mindset is to say where does the Board want to take education and what ecosystem does it need to build so that everyone is emotionally and academically healthy and flourishing.
Board Chairperson Payne stated that those two critical decisions help the Board to understand where it needs to focus.
Hull proposed that the Board think about a timeline and process for these two critical decisions by establishing the vision, mission, and goals for the state education system. He also shared that at the next meeting, the Board will need to outline a process to choose a superintendent in the absence of a Board strategic plan. Hull stated that because of this, the Board needs to agree on goals, then as a Board, all of the members need to agree on the skills a new superintendent must have to meet those goals. Hull explained that NASBE uses the Five Forces of Leadership of Thomas Sergiovani, which lays out the key skills and attributes of leadership to deliver the agreed-upon outcomes, technical, educational, cultural, and symbolic leadership. He stated that the Board would revise the superintendent job description based on the agreed upon skills and then deploy the search committee to complete its task.
Board Member Fallin stated that as the Board goes through the process of developing expectations for a new superintendent she would like more details on the Five Forces of Leadership. Hull replied that he will forward that information to members.
Board Member Voss stated that he has been through two strategic plan efforts and neither were good because there was a lot of edu-speak and jargon that did not reflect strategic policy, vision or direction by the Board. He noted that as a Board there is no collective vision on where we want to take public education using the reframed question. Board Member Voss asked if the Board needs to do more work to figure out what the Board’s strategic vision really is without a plan including details and metric before answering the second question on what the Board wants the new superintendent to do in their first year.
Hull replied that the Board will not have a fully fleshed out strategic plan, but should have a vision to guide its selection on what it hopes will be in place at the end of five years. He stated that there is an activity called blue-sky thinking, which asks what if we do this, then what, and how to work through a process of establishing the big picture.
Board Member Namauʻu shared that the Board is meeting today to start to address how to find the appropriate superintendent to address the issues when the Board does not have collective voice. She noted that the process will give the Board what it needs to figure out where to take public education so it can give the superintendent the necessary direction through the Board’s vision for public education so the superintendent can implement what is needed for students.
Hull stated that there are wonderful opportunities and the collective wisdom to get the work done to make a difference for the students of Hawaii. He stated that the next session should establish broad parameters for what needs to be done so the Board gets education where it wants five years from now and what attributes of a leader are needed to get that done. Hull encouraged all members to email him or call with any further questions.
Board Chairperson Payne expressed appreciation for the offer to help the Board move forward by working with the entire Board to clarify a vision.
Hull expressed appreciation and commended the Board for taking on the hard work.
Board Member Barcarse expressed appreciation for Hull and the offer to help the Board think through and talk about digesting information on how to best apply. He welcomed the offer of additional assistance.
III. Late Public Testimony on Board Agenda Items
Board Chairperson Payne called for public testimony from any individuals who did not have an opportunity to testify on earlier agenda items.
Mireille Ellsworth, Hawai‘i for a Safe Return to Schools, testified that the Board has had five to six hour meetings because of public testimony, which could be reduced by proactive policies to reduce the concern.
Bryan Costa, public, testified that he is confused why the Board is still having meetings via WebEx while children are present in school and expressed disappointment with distance learning programs for students with medical conditions.
Lynn Otaguro, public, testified she appreciates the training to help the Board work together and she understands the Board’s concerns about policymaking and micromanaging.
Burke Burnett, Hawaii for Safe Return to Schools, testified that with the arrival of the delta variant, hospitals are overwhelmed and we are in a public health emergency and that he has documented hundreds of credible reports of inadequate or inconsistent protocols for safe reopening of schools.
Board members received written testimony before the meeting. The following is a listing of the people who submitted written testimony before the meeting.
Name | Organization | Agenda Item |
| Lynn Otaguro | | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
| Susan Pcola-Davis | | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
| S.L. | | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
| Mr. Hughey | | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
| Cheri Nakamura | HE‘E Coalition | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
| Jacie Miyashiro | | II. A. Presentation on NASBE boardsmanship training to establish the foundation for recognizing full board authority, developing an understanding of working cohesively as a board, and Leading for Lasting Change |
Board Chairperson Payne adjourned the meeting at 12:34 p.m.