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PSS seeking volunteers
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Posted on Dec 17 1998
The Public School System will form a pool of substitute teachers from volunteers when classes resume in January.
Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos yesterday appealed for volunteers, particularly those who have retired from teaching, or other professionals, to become part of the manpower pool.
“If it takes a whole community to raise a child, this is the opportune time to make it real in the CNMI,” she said.
With its current payroll deficit, PSS is unable to hire substitute teachers.
On Saipan alone, each school would require one substitute teacher daily. There are 10 public schools on Saipan.
In the latest Board of Education meeting, Franklin Keiper, Vice-President of the Marianas Federation of Teachers, suggested that PSS should offer its bilingual subjects through volunteer work.
Inos, however, opens her invitation for all subjects.
“Please call in and tell us that you are supporting,” she said. PSS will then convene a general assembly of volunteers to identify the subjects they are comfortable with.
This early, PSS has solicited the support from retirees who stayed on to work.
Angelita Buniag, vice principal of Hopwood Junior High School, is one of them. She retired early this month but decided to continue to work for another two weeks without pay.
There are six of them at Hopwood who are prolonging their stay without compensation.
After more than 27 years of teaching, Buniag is open to volunteer work but on shorter terms.
“As a substitute teacher, why not? But I want to take my needed vacation this Christmas break,” she said.
