Guerrero: Board entitled to privacy

CNMI State Board of Education chair Herman T. Guerrero, right, listens to a report by Public School System comptroller Perlie Santos in yesterday’s special board meeting at the Office of Pupil Transportation conference room in Lower Base. (Jon Perez)

CNMI State Board of Education chair Herman T. Guerrero reaffirmed their right of keeping things private in the evaluation process of Education Commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan, whose contract is up for renewal next month.

Guerrero made the statement after Tanapag Middle School Parent-Teacher-Student Association president Kodep Ogumoro questioned the board’s transparency in evaluating Sablan, who was appointed by the BOE as commissioner in 2009.

The BOE chair said that the evaluation process remains the same that’s why he’s surprised why is it a big deal now. “Why are we making a big deal of this thing? In the past we publish that we’re going to evaluate if ever the commissioner’s contract coming up.”

“Now there are people who are saying that they are part of the selection process and evaluation. I’m sorry but the constitution is very clear that the board appoints the commissioner and are entitled to be given the privacy,” said Guerrero.

The CNMI Constitution empowers the BOE to hire and fire the PSS commissioner and approves the guidelines on the evaluation process.

“If we violated her privacy to be evaluated then we are opening ourselves for legal challenges and be sued. In a lot of sense, I know what he’s saying of not giving the information. But what is the difference? We haven’t changed the evaluation process the last time,” Guerrero added.

He said part of the process is informing the commissioner that her contract is up for renewal. The BOE has also asked Sablan to submit her goals and objectives, her accomplishment, and new goals that she wanted if renewed.

“It is a three-part component that she needs to submit. And she’s been consistent in providing those things to the board. We believe we could finish the evaluation before August,” Guerrero said.

“The documents are there and I don’t know what Kodep wants. I think he just wants to be part of the process but he can’t be part of it because he’s not a member of the board. And non-voting members can’t vote in the evaluation process but can only make comments.”

Marylou S. Ada and Janice A. Tenorio (Saipan), Florine M. Hofschneider (Tinian), and Denise Tanya R. King (Rota) are the other elected BOE members that can vote aside from Guerrero.

Guerrero said that they also appointed Mt. Carmel School president Galvin Deleon Guerrero to head the adhoc committee in evaluating Sablan’s performance. “But the committee didn’t do anything, so what am I supposed to do?

“I can’t establish another committee and the board is the only one that has the authority to recommend one to be created. [Deleon Guerrero] was appointed but he’s been busy with MCS that’s why he has no time to do it.”

Guerrero said now they have to do everything in Executive Session. “Right now, we’re trying to have a timeline but we have to do everything in Executive session. We have to evaluate the commissioner based on her job description, goals, and objectives that she submitted the last time we evaluated her.”