PSS waste, abuse and mismanagement

The financial crisis at PSS is due to Board of Education not handling the waste, abuse and mismanagement properly.

Here are some concerns that I brought up to the then Chairwoman Lucy Blanco-Maratita back in

2010. While I’m talking to her she was writing it in her note pad.

1. Back in 2010 one of the energy saving plan was to shut off air-conditioners at the Curriculum Department, certain hours of the day, so I went to see the Chairwoman to, first, stop the waste and abuses at PSS.

-The Blackberry purchases to all management and principals

-The glamour/colorful expensive printing cost of PSS quarterly newsletter

-The glamour expensive picture frames at PSS hallways and BOE conference room

-The expensive conference room furniture at BOE’s conference room

-The expensive 48” flat screen in the central conference room and BOE’s conference room

2. Mismanagement:

-BOE approved increase of salary for one upper management with retroactive pay

-Uncollected travel advances due from mostly upper management, with one individual of over $20,000, as reported by the auditor

-For every COE travel out of CNMI, there’s 2-3 PSS staff will come along with her, and BOE chairperson approves all travel outside CNMI.

-Two months ago, COE and Budget Officer, both, pay themselves with their accrued annual leave, which is illegal in accordance to BOE POLICY. The BOE requested for investigation and the public were not informed of the result of this investigation. This is not personal fund that was mismanaged, it is public funds, BOE owe an answer to the public, parents and teachers. If Mr. Craig Garrison did not discover this scam, Rita and Waldo will go scot free. Isn’t it true that if you pay yourself illegally that is embezzlement? Isn’t it that Rita and Waldo are the spending authority of the funds? Even if they returned the money back, there was a criminal activity involved. Where are the authorities on this case, the Attorney General, Public Auditor and the Board of Education.

-PSS pays some individuals (sweet heart deal) professional contracts. (No question from BOE.)

-The nepotism hiring practice at the expense of our children’s education. (No question from BOE.)

3. Harassment:

-I reported to the then Chairwoman Maratita about the incident of employees harassment.

A rank and file employee was pushed on the head by COE and was told to use her head. Poor girl was young and new, she doesn’t know what to do. Right after I report it to then Chairwoman Maratita, the employee was immediately transferred to Hopwood. If this incident is done by a teacher, that teacher for sure will be reprimanded or terminated.

All of the above call for a change at the Board of Education. This coming election we have to make sure we change the Board members. Criminal activities should not be condoned at the Public School System.

I bet there’s a lot of things going around at PSS and not being exposed to the public due to

employees scared of losing their job and I don’t blame them. The Board must take action of criminal activities, but they don’t. Shall we recommend to abolish the Board of Education, if this entity is not functioning to protect the interest of the students and dedicated teachers.

Parents and teachers were used by PSS to appear before the Legislature regarding the disconnection of power at PSS. I heard comments from the community and parents blaming the legislature and the administration. Please don’t blame anybody, blame it to the administration of Public School System.

Rita Sablan was notified by CUC two weeks before the disconnection, yet, she went ahead with her trip to Washington, D.C. ignoring the CUC notice, where is her priority, and the Board did not make it an issue. It is not the parents and teachers responsibility to appear before the Legislature, it is the Commissioner of Education, PSS Finance Director and the Board of Education. No matter how much money is given to PSS from the federal government and local revenue, if waste, abuse and mismanagement continue, they will never have enough, and who suffers in the end, the students and dedicated teachers.

This is also a message to the Legislature, they must do an oversight at PSS. First, PSS did not pay the Retirement Fund for their office rental. Second, PSS did not pay the Retirement Fund with employer’s contribution. Third, PSS did not pay CUC of over $4 million. Fourth, PSS did not pay their vendors and those vendors were behind with their employees payroll for two months. WHERE’S THE BOARD OF EDUCATION?

Please don’t get mad at me for exposing the above. Someone must have the courage to take action and not to sit back, watch and do nothing. We, parents and the community must get together to help the Board of Education get things in order at PSS for a better education.

Thank you all for your understanding, support and cooperation, and for those who get mad at me, I am sorry.

Remi Sablan
Garapan