PSS commissioner selection delayed

The deadline for when a new Public School System commissioner will be named has been pushed back, but the process is going well, Board of Education chair Lucy Blanco-Maratita said Saturday.

A new commissioner was expected to be named by Aug. 1, but the interview portion of the selection has now been pushed back to the week of Aug. 4.

“The selection will be slightly delayed, but we will continue forward with the selection with due diligence and as expeditiously as we can while ensuring that we carefully evaluate the applicants in order to select the best candidate,” Blanco-Maratita said in an e-mail.

Three candidates applied for the position: Debra Ellen; Ambrose M. Bennett, a former CNMI Board of Education teacher representative; and Rita Sablan, PSS associate commissioner for instruction. Sablan was an earlier applicant for the commissioner position in 2006.

The position was reportedly advertised in Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Three off-island applications received were incomplete.

“We tried our best to advertise within our budgetary confines,” Blanco-Maratita said.

She said more applicants might have applied if the salary was higher or more perks were offered.

“Nonetheless, we will work with the three applicants that we received,” she added.

The salary for the full-time position is $60,000 to $80,000 with benefits.

The position of Commissioner requires a master’s degree in an education field and at least five years experience teaching or in education administration. Candidates are also required to demonstrate knowledge of school systems, proficiency in English, and be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in CNMI, according to the job vacancy announcement on PSS’s Web site.

“We are looking for a great educational and motivated leader who will improve our system and continue to raise our student achievement and ensure that our students leave the system equipped to face the challenges that the CNMI has in store,” Blanco-Maratita said.

PSS acting Commissioner Craig Garrison, who took over the position after Dr. David Borja was told by the BOE in June to step down or be fired, said his time as commissioner has been enlightening.

The position is not for the faint of heart, he said.

“[The ideal candidate] needs commitment, stamina and perseverance in the face of adversity,” he added.