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Sablan finally begins tenure as PSS Commissioner
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Posted on Aug 20 2008
Rita Sablan’s first day as the Public School System Commissioner of Education was jam-packed.
Sablan started Wednesday with back-to-back meetings with PSS staff, and the Board of Education and representatives from the U.S. Department of Education in the morning, followed by a teleconference call and more meetings in the afternoon.
“The most pleasant part was meeting with the staff,” she said.
Sablan is meeting with the principals from the various schools today.
“I hope to share goals and needs to facilitate and deliver student requirements and student safety,” she said.
On Saturday, Sablan will discuss her ideas and goals for PSS with the Board of Education, she said.
“I would like to offer them my ideas on how we can improve our schools,” she said.
She declined to give details about her plans before discussing them with the Board.
Working with the Board should be a positive experience, she said.
“During the interview process, I felt really happy about the composition of the Board in terms of the students’ needs and operations,” she said.
Sablan said she plans to visit the individual schools next week to get a better understanding of where each school stands and how they are doing.
“Students come first,” she said. “It’s important to make sure we meet the needs for students to be competitive, not just in the Commonwealth, but the States also,” she said.
The Board of Education named Sablan PSS Commissioner last week over Ambrose Bennett. The BOE asked David Borja to resign as commissioner in June.
Sablan said she has dismissed a lawsuit she filed against the Board and several former members in 2006 after Borja was named commissioner over her.
