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A sad loss for education in our community
As a practitioner and a leader in education, I am very saddened by the resignation of Glenn Muña as the commissioner of the CNMI Public School System. And while it is neither my place nor my disposition to pass judgment on what may or may not have happened to cause his resignation, as a concerned citizen and an empathetic colleague of all education professionals in our community, I must share what I think and how I feel.
I am no stranger to public education. I am a former public school teacher and a former voting member of the CNMI Board of Education. My brother and many of my relatives teach and work in our public schools. And my own daughter is a proud Kingfisher at the oldest public school on island, William S. Reyes Elementary School. So I know firsthand the value of public education. And when it comes to public education, I believe the single most important thing that students and servants in our public schools need is an advocate. And that’s what Glenn has always been.
Whether as a teacher, an administrator, or as a leader, Glenn has always been there to help his students and his colleagues. When he agreed to serve as commissioner, he made many sacrifices—turning down lucrative job offers elsewhere, not moving with his daughter to college, taking time away from his family, and even compromising his own health. He made those sacrifices because he believes in our students and in our educators.
On a personal level, I have had the privilege of working with Glenn for over a decade. In that time, I have come to deeply respect and admire him. He is a committed educator, a humble leader, and a devoted family man. Above all, he is a good and decent person.
Glenn’s resignation is a sad loss for education in our community. I only hope that his departure will encourage us all to reflect on what we can do to fill the void, and to ensure that we stop driving good people like him away from the good work of public education.
Glenn, you and your family are in my prayers, as are all our students and educators. Thank you for your years of service, and for inspiring us all to do better and to be better.
Galvin Deleon Guerrero, Ed.D.
Mount Carmel School
