Party Day for Public Education

Across the United States last Wednesday, Sept. 22, people gathered in living rooms, libraries, schools, churches, community centers, and other settings to discuss the successes, challenges, and opportunities in the nation’s public education system.

Billed as a “Party Day for Public Education,” the event kicked off the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools, which was initiated by the National Education Association, Campaign for America’s Future, Moveon.org, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, NAACP Voters Fund, and the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute. This was not exactly apolitical on the homestretch of the U.S. presidential election but the intent was valid, and the activities mainstream to the American tradition of promoting civic virtue and the common good.

SVES fifth grade teacher Val Welch was not much in a party mood this week though, nor did he have a house to hold one in, as he recalled the Bank of Guam’s recent refusal to extend him and his family a housing loan. He was informed that his two-year teaching contract with the Public School System, even along with that of his teacher spouse, were not good enough to qualify them for the loan. A BOE member, when informed of this, was surprised and can only respond that this might also be a case of discrimination. In any case, Mr. Welch is short of the $150 application fee, an amount that would have bought him and his family a lot of tacos and a keg of root beer on a Friday night at one of Beach Road’s popular watering holes.

Not to place too much levity on a serious matter, the issue of teacher’s tenure in PSS is one that is long overdue for serious consideration. To date, PSS had not moved from the practice of extending only a two-year contract to teachers, though, of course, this is at par with the common employment arrangements in the public and private sectors of the Northern Marianas. There has been slight movement on the matter of certification so that one can be certified beyond the two-year period. Also, certain BOE members are talking about extending the contract period for those who have proven themselves through merit rather than longevity to be worthy of a contractual arrangement beyond the regular two-year period.

A system of tenure in place would of course, bring rationality into the PSS organization and system. That may take a while before it can assist Mr. Welch on his housing loan.

Mr. Welch is sad. Ditto for my Sunday colleague in this page, Ruth Tighe, on the BOE teachers’ representative, which she think is in need of re-examination. She wrote: “From all appearances, the present representative is not very representative. The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be anything the teachers can do about it. Sad.” Teachers’ Rep. Ambrose Bennett is sad over BOE sanctioning his behavior. One had hoped that he would take the high road when he responded with his “Ethics at the BOE” reflections but it turned out to be another of his tireless tirade against his harangued Board colleagues. This time, AB assailed them of foul motive.

He also claimed he was “sad to learn in the meeting that a teacher was sending all of the school representatives’ e-mails to BOE members.” He was more specific in his e-mail sent before the Teachers’ Rep meeting Sept. 17: “It should also be noted that Jamie (sic) Vergara, has been secretly sending all of our emails to BOE members and conversing with them but not being “forthright” with me and the other school reps. It may also be that a virus has been planted by him to send our emails to BOE members. Because of this problem, I would highly suggest that you eliminate Mr. Vergara’s participation especially in the light that he never supplied the necessary documentation to be the “official” Rep. for his school and he was only in an “acting” position.”

Inquisitive Roger Ludwick wants to know which School Representatives actually support the BOE Teachers’ Rep. He is not sad; he just wants to know. (TRC secretary Mary Binauea reported that 4 Teachers’ Rep and an interested teacher showed up at the Sept. 17 meeting. Being the obedient trooper, I decided not to show up. By my reckoning, those who did are not the front section of AB’s cheering squad.)

I am not sad, Mr. AB’s libelous claims notwithstanding. However, though my name is Iberian for the English “James,” that does not come close to being James Bond 007 who can rig e-mails with virus to redirect their routing. (A friend once called me Jaime Bandido 0-2-10’ but that’s a Filipino joke that is best not recounted in the company of the tender eared.) Unlike Ruth Tighe’s teacher friends, however, I do not feel helpless.

AB the constitutionalist and civics teacher will appreciate the reality of the “dissent of the governed” since he practices it often enough. In like manner, I will petition the Governor this week and pass it around to my colleagues for their signatures, asking for a ballot recall. AB had vacillated enough about attending BOE meetings anyway, and he has pretty much shot his credibility with his BOE colleagues, we might as well relieve him of his ambivalence and miseries. I am giving this ballot recall a month and if there is not enough signatures, I will forever hold my peace. If there will be enough signers, I would hope that come Nov. 24 during CNMI Education Day, we would be voting for a new Teachers’ Rep. We might even have a party!

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Vergara is a Social Studies 6th grade teacher at San Vicente Elementary School and writes a regular column for the Saipan Tribune.