Lingle appoints Caroline S. Wong to Board of Education

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle appointed Caroline S. Wong to the Board of Education to fill the seat vacated by Breene Harimoto, who resigned last month.

Wong will serve on a temporary basis until a new member is elected in the November General Election to serve out the remaining two years of Harimoto’s term. Her appointment takes effect immediately.

“As a former teacher, vice principal and principal, Caroline [Wong] understands what our schools need in order for students to succeed,” Lingle said in a statement. “Caroline has been a tireless advocate for improving Hawaii’s public education system, and has proven her ability to work effectively with the Board of Education, the community, and her fellow educators in addressing the challenges facing our schools.”

??Wong worked for the Department of Education (DOE) for 40 years and served as principal of Moanalua Middle School from 1991 until retiring last year. During her 18-year tenure as principal, she helped guide the restructuring of Moanalua from a traditional junior school into a middle school.

In 2005, Wong was named the Hawaii State Middle School Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. In 2008, Wong was a semi-finalist in the Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award.  ?

Wong first joined the DOE in 1969 as a teacher at Leilehua High School. She also was a student support services educational specialist and taught at Moanalua Intermediate (prior to the school’s name change to Moanalua Middle School). In addition, Wong served as vice principal of Moanalua High School and vice principal of Aiea Intermediate School. ??She is active in numerous educational associations, including the Association of School Curriculum Development, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Hawaii Association of Secondary School Administrators (past president), National Middle School Association, and Hawaii Middle School Association. 

Wong previously served on the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board.?? Wong earned masters degree in social science and secondary education from Michigan State University and a masters degree in educational administration from the University of Hawaii. She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois.