PSS seeks ways to retain its teachers

The Public School System plans to implement strategies that would help the system retain its teachers in the Commonwealth.

According to Education Commissioner David M. Borja, he would be meeting with PSS officials, elementary and high school principals and administrators next week to strategize on how to effectively implement what he calls “the 3R program.”

During this week’s Board of Education meeting on Capital Hill, Borja told board members that the 3R program—Recruitment, Retention and Renewal—would assist the Education System in maintaining the number of teachers in 20 public schools in the Commonwealth.

There are currently 511 public school teachers in the CNMI.

PSS had admitted that it is having difficulty in retaining and recruiting teachers to fill “hard-to-fill” teaching positions at PSS.

“We need to look at the retention part,” Borja told the board. He added that there has been a rapid turnover of teachers in the CNMI. He said most teachers leave the system due to better work opportunities elsewhere.

Borja said he would be gathering all the principals on Dec. 19 to further discuss the implementation of the new program.

Public School Teacher Representative Ambrose Bennett acknowledged Borja’s report during the board meeting. He thanked Borja on behalf of all public school teachers in the CNMI.

“We really need that. We thank you for addressing that,” Bennett said.

According to reports early this year, teacher turnover in the CNMI Public School System is slightly higher than the national average, which is 11.5 percent during a five-year period covering 2002-2006.

In contrast, the rate at private schools in the Commonwealth ranks lower than the U.S. average at 16 percent.

Reports said the turnover rate recorded in school year 2001 to 2002 was 8.9 percent, while in 2002 to 2003 it rose to 12.7 percent.

In 2003 to 2004, the turnover rate decreased to 10.9 percent; in 2004 to 2005 it again rose to a whopping 14.5 percent. The turnover rate plunged to 11.3 percent in 2005 to 2006.

Former Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos had said PSS should follow best practices as delineated by the Education Commission of the United States that include: mentoring of novice teachers, focused professional development for all teachers, performance-based compensation that is directly linked to high student achievement and school achievement.