“This is an ideal time to transition to new leadership that will help the DOE continue its efforts to reduce the achievement gap and prioritize achievement for all students,” -- BOE Chairman Lance Mizumoto October, 2016 announcing outgoing DoE Sup't Kathryn Matayoshi would not be re-hired
“You know, I, um, I basically, uh, the the the question was about um whether I thought that, um, that the board should, uh, seek, uh, open process and seek a new superintendent and I, I, I said that I would, uh, support the board’s decision.” -- Gov David Ige, December, 2016
Do you remember former DOE Superintendent Paul LeMahieu? Are you ready for more of the same?
Let’s see who they dumped Matayoshi for….
Superintendent's *Inappropriate Relationship* with Subordinate Becomes a Public Scandal
Published on Jan 27, 2016: A citizen of The Town of Gilbert, AZ addresses the Governing Board of Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) about a letter from a teacher describing Superintendent Christina Kishimoto's inappropriate relationship with her subordinate, Charles Stevin Smith, Executive Director of Technology, who resigned two days after the letter was published online. The teacher described fear of retaliation as the reason for anonymity. GPS policies prohibit relationships between employees, students and others. This citizens asks, given this situation and breach of public trust, how will the superintendent enforce GPS policies against other employees?
Who knew Gilbert, Arizona was such an exciting place?
KISHIMOTO CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS:
AND MORE ….
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UPDATE ....
BoE: We Knew All About Kishimoto, And Picked Her Anyway
Hawaii Tribune-Herald, May 27, 2017: …A total of 92 applicants applied for her job. Several people criticized Kishimoto in written testimony pointing to her previous controversies and critiquing her lack of experience leading a system as large as Hawaii’s, and the lack of local candidates overall.
Hawaii Island BOE member Pat Bergin, part of the superintendent search committee, said Thursday the board is “very much aware of all the concerns raised” about Kishimoto and “we’ve completely vetted her.”
“We’ve researched every single complaint that came through,” Bergin said.
Bergin called Kishimoto an “innovator” who is hoped to take Hawaii’s school system “to another level.”
“I want to be really clear that’s not a criticism of the current superintendent,” Bergin said. (KNOW THEM BY WHAT THEY DENY!) “I think she’s done an awesome job. But I think it’s time for some new perspectives on how we can do better for our children, and I think (Kishimoto) is … bringing a new perspective to how we might look at educating our children. (We picked this drama queen to be the ‘new perspective’ because the HSTA wanted Matayoshi out.)
“Everything we’ve been hearing her say is very student-focused and supportive of teachers and she wants to do exactly what the board has been promoting.”
Kishimoto did not respond to a request for an interview….
read … This is what they got rid of Matayoshi for
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School Sup't Christina Kishimoto Responds to Criticism
Published on Jan 1, 2016: Dr. Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent, Gilbert Public Schools, AZ, responds to criticism that she abused her authority by staging repetitious public comments in favor of her Chromebooks initiative when speakers were requested to attend by their GPS supervisors. Kishimoto denies that those comments were coordinated. Kishimoto's emotional outburst included that she felt badgered and attacked. Kishimoto urged board members to get behind her as superintendent, "Unless you want the chaos to continue. We have to walk to a common beat in terms of what you want to see happening...I don't want to sit here and feel like I am being badgered as the leader of this district."
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Judge Denies Kishimoto Restraining Order Against Gilbert, AZ resident who was seeking public records
Published on Feb 23, 2015: Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto gave false testimony in an ex parte hearing on January 20, 2015. Kishimoto sought to achieve what she could not legitimately do otherwise: retaliate against citizens, shut down public criticism and thwart access to public records. Judge Bruce R. Owens denied her petition.
She’s also not a very good speller.
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Not Just Arizona: Hartford, CT Refuses to Renew Kishimoto Contract
Published on Jun 19, 2013
(WTNH) -- The Hartford Board of Education had voted not to renew the contract of school superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. The Mayor says he is happy with the decision.
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FLASHBACK, 2001: Paul LeMahieu was also a three-year wonder.
As the New York Times explained October 23, 2001:
Paul LeMahieu, who had been superintendent of the nation's only state-run system since 1998, resigned abruptly last Thursday, saying he was distracted by the state's investigation of a $600,000 contract that he helped award to a special-education consulting firm in the summer of 2000.
A day after resigning, Dr. LeMahieu acknowledged having a personal relationship with the firm's owner that ''crossed the line,'' according to remarks quoted in The Honolulu Advertiser and The Honolulu Star-Bulletin. On Saturday, the company owner, Kaniu Kinimaka-Stocksdale, told a legislative panel that she and Dr. LeMahieu began a brief affair last fall, several months after the contract was awarded.
Her company, Na Laukoa, received the $600,000 as a subcontractor to another company, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. Dr. LeMahieu was able to bypass state procurement laws in awarding the contract to Pacific by exercising broad powers invested in him by the federal courts; those courts are monitoring the state's compliance with a consent agreement on revamping special-education programs.