State legislator, government official, author and columnist
Jim Shon is a writer, former school administrator, former state representative,[1] and activist in Hawaii.[2] He served in the state house as a Democrat first elected in 1984.[3] He lost his seat in the 1996 election.
He was born in Syracuse, New York[4] and graduated from Jamesville-DeWitt High School and Syracuse University with a degree in music education.[5] Before moving to Hawaii, he served in Korea with the Peace Corps, teaching English as a second language on Jeju Island.[4][5] In 1973, Shon enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as a graduate student in Korean history.[5]
Shon has written several novels.[4] He is also writes newspaper columns[6] and wrote a book about overseeing the establishment of Hawaii's Charter School system.
Shon led Hawaii's nascent Charter Schools program until he was fired from the post in 2006.[7][8] He served as director of the Hawaii Education Policy Center.[1]
Writings
- Poison in Paradise
- The Case of the Good Deed, co-authores with Masa Hagino
- The Case of the Rainforest Reunion
Non-fiction
- A Charter School Story
- Inside Hawaii's Capital
References
