BETWEEN NOW AND 2011

Classroom teachers who have yet to complete requirements to be certified as highly qualified still have time and many opportunities before the timeline of the federal No Child Left Behind Act mandate ends in school year 2010-2011.

Of the more than 500 teachers in CNMI public schools, 66 percent are already deemed highly qualified. A teacher is considered HQT if he or she has a degree, valid teaching certificates, and has passed the Praxis tests.

The remaining 34 percent, however, either lack certifications or are still taking the rigorous Praxis tests.

Board of Education vice chair Herman T. Guerrero admitted that after the 2011 federal mandate, they have yet to know what will happen to the non-highly qualified teachers in PSS.

“The board is optimistic that all our teachers will be HQT by the time this federal mandate expired. Between now and school year 2010-2011, there is still a lot more time and opportunities for them to complete all the standards,” he said.

Of the three requirements, the passing of both Praxis 1 and 2 tests seem to be the standard that many non-HQTs have yet to comply with, Guerrero said.

This summer, PSS will conduct institutes and crash courses that would help teachers in their Praxis tests.

“I hope they will take advantage of these institutes because these are designed to help them meet their requirements. They must take every opportunity to bring growth and progress to themselves…because becoming an HQT is not only for PSS but for them as well,” he said, adding that PSS is spending considerable amount to help teachers succeed in getting the requirements.

The No Child Left Behind Act requires all U.S. public schools to fill all its classrooms with HQT personnel beginning 2011. The U.S. Department of Education gives each state the right to set its own requirements to meet the federal HQT mandate.

The Board of Education has set the three components of Praxis, degree and certificates as requirements to be considered HQT in the CNMI.

It adopted a salary compensation plan that aims to encourage personnel to achieve this goal of becoming highly qualified.

Adopted in 2006, this salary schedule provides a starting salary of $27,000 for teachers who are not Praxis-compliant and provides up to $47,000 to those who get the maximum qualifications.

Early this year, a new compensation plan was also adopted for school counselors—who must also be highly qualified by the time of 2011.

Guerrero said several testing periods will take place between now and 2011.

“Just keep on taking the tests…and come back if you didn’t pass it the last time. I am sure there are still several testing periods before 2011,” he said.

Guerrero, who has been opposed to amending the board’s HQT policy, said standards in any profession are important because they allow one to gauge one’s capability.

‘One-year teaching contract to be renewed’
Saipan Tribune learned that the one-year teaching contract issued by PSS to non-HQT personnel will most likely be renewed, provided they show good faith efforts to meet the requirements.

Guerrero said it is the board’s plan to help non-HQTs, not to displace them.

Even the system’s employees who are under the immediate relative status, the vice chairman said, are being encouraged to work on their papers to prevent major upheavals in the end.

“We’re helping non-HQTs … and even the IR employees that we have,” Guerrero told Saipan Tribune.