Pellegrino sits as new BOE boss

State Board of Education Saipan member Anthony Pellegrino was installed yesterday as the new chair of the policy-making body, a position he has admittedly awaited for the last three years to occupy.

Rota member Marja Lee Taitano was also unanimously voted by board officials to assume the vice chair post.

The new chair consequently appointed former BOE chair Frances H. Diaz to lead the board’s Family Involvement, Headstart, and Federal committee, and former vice chair Roman C. Benavente to spearhead the Capital Improvement Projects Committee.

Members Esther Fleming, non public school representative Scott L. Norman, and vice chair Taitano maintained their existing committees, namely, the committees on Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Legislature, and Fiscal and Personnel, respectively.

Former BOE chair Diaz bowed out of her year-long leadership term, pledging all-out support for the next BOE chief.

“I know the next chair will journey on a path that’s hopefully filled with good times, even though there are inevitably bumpy roads up ahead,” she said during a brief installation ceremony at Pacific Gardenia yesterday.

The Tinian member also seized the opportunity to extend her gratitude to the individuals who have been behind the series of successes within the Public School System during the past year.

Meanwhile, the new BOE head has vowed to double his efforts into leading the way for further improvements in CNMI’s public education system.

In accepting his new position, Mr. Pellegrino promised to “do better tomorrow than today.”

“I will insist that committees work harder,” he said.

The strengthening of character education in schools and the speedy progress of PSS Capital Improvement Projects are two of his top priorities.

“We’re going to have a fantastic PSS. I promise I will work with each of you. I don’t have a private agenda. My job is to monitor you,” he told his colleagues and other PSS officials during yesterday’s gathering.

All board members also took turns to address the group of their sentiments over the number of struggles they have took on for the sake of CNMI’s children.

During the half-day event, BOE members also showed the lighter, more jovial sides to their personalities, without letting onlookers forget that underneath the somewhat jocose exteriors, were public servants dead serious about implementing education reforms in the Northern Marianas.