Six principals reassigned to new schools in revamp

Six public schools will have new principals in the 2012 school year after Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan announced a reshuffling of school heads during the principals’ meeting at Laolao Bay Golf Resort yesterday.

Speaking before more than 20 school administrators and education officials, Sablan named Jessica Barcinas-Taylor as the new principal for Tanapag Elementary School, replacing Frances Ulloa who is on medical leave.

Barcinas-Taylor will be leaving her post as coordinator of the PSS Career Technical Education Program to head the Tanapag school.

Yvonne Pangelinan has been assigned to San Vicente Elementary School effective July 18 as replacement for Joaquina Salas, who retired after 30 years of public service. Pangelinan has been the principal of Garapan Elementary School for more than seven years.

At Garapan Elementary School, vice principal Paulette Sablan will become the school’s interim principal effective immediately.

James Sablan, currently vice principal of Oleai Elementary School, will become the school principal for San Antonio Elementary School, while Martin Dalsaso, the interim principal of San Antonio, will be moving to Marianas High School as one of its vice principals.

At Dr. Rita Inos Hocog Junior High School on Rota, vice principal Annette Calvo will become its interim principal. She replaces Maria Quitugua, who will assume the position of PSS Assessment Program coordinator.

Marianas High School will also have a new principal after Craig Garrison tendered his resignation. Cherlyn Cabrera, the current vice principal, was named interim replacement for Garrison.

After the closed-door meeting, Board of Education chair Marylou Ada and board member Herman T. Guerrero expressed their full support to the commissioner. The two also provided words of encouragement for all school administrators to continue their good performances and recognized their notable accomplishments during the last school year.

Commissioner Sablan said that PSS ended the school year on a high note. She highlighted the recent SAT-10 results, which showed a growth of 3 to 9 percentile.

Sablan said all the re-assigned principals fully meet BOE’s highly qualified requirements and that many have applied for the positions since last school year.

“These are individuals who met the requirements of the board and we’re very pleased that we are able to make the appointments due to capacity in the administrative area,” she told Saipan Tribune.

The revamp surprised many school administrators yesterday.

Barcinas-Taylor and James Sablan admitted that they both applied for the posts but didn’t know until after the announcement that they’ve been accepted. They vowed to perform their best for student learning.

Part of their immediate plans is to sit down with their respective school teams and get to know them first. The two said understanding school data, culture, and concerns are key to effective leadership.

Yvonne Pangelinan, the new principal for San Vicente, admitted that she has yet to process her feelings about the reassignment. She said she is focusing now in preparing Garapan for a smooth transition.

Pangelinan said among her immediate plans at San Vicente is to review its staffing pattern and prepare the school for the new school year.

When asked if the decision was expected, Pangelinan said: “I think if you work for PSS, you understand that you are serving the students and we are a large system. Everybody must be prepared to serve in the capacity that they are called for,” she added.