Lab school’s 6th-8th grades face possible cancellation

The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade programs at the Northern Marianas College Laboratory School may be cancelled if they fail to recruit at least 14 students before the new school year begins.

Acting NMC president Tony Deleon Guerrero said the college administration had set a minimum class size of 14 students to ensure that NMC does not incur unnecessary expenditures.

As of June 18, the 6th/7th/8th grade program only has a total of 11 students enrolled.

“They need to recruit three more for the 6th/7th/8th grade program, so the class would not be cancelled. I think they can make it. They have two more months to do it,” Deleon Guerrero said.

The lab school has four classes—K4/K5; 1st/2nd grades; 3rd/4th/5th grades; and 6th/7th/8th grades.

The NMC board of directors on Thursday approved the hiring of one of three new instructors that the lab school had asked for. The new teacher will be handling the K4/K5 class.

The second class will be taught by Kathy Plaza, while the third class still awaits the concurrence of teacher Donna Aguon.

Deleon Guerrero said NMC education teacher Ed Lieberman has offered to handle the fourth class in the morning, with lab school principal Richard Puhalla teaching in the afternoon.

In a recent meeting between parents of lab school students, however, NMC School of Education faculty noted that some problems, such as lack of coherence in the educational program and rules, may arise from the half-time teaching proposal.

According to the minutes of the meeting prepared by Sibylla Leon Guerrero, an officer of the lab school’s parent advisory council, the teachers also noted that Lieberman will retire in December and the possibility of replacing him is uncertain at best.

Further, Puhalla, who is currently on vacation, has not been asked about the plan.

But the option has its advantages, nevertheless.

“It buys time until December, when the [Board of Regents] could be lobbied for Lieberman’s replacement; it keeps the 6th to 8th grades at the [college lab school],which may be transferred to [Public School System] next year anyway,” a portion of the minutes says.

Citing economic reasons, Deleon Guerrero earlier announced that NMC is looking at merging with PSS in operating the lab school, starting next year.

He added that PSS is receptive to the idea, as it will foster the NMC and PSS’s “mutual interest in continuously improving the educational program for teachers in training.”

Both institutions are considering the possibility of converting the Tanapag Elementary School into a lab school, with PSS taking care of day-to-day operations and NMC controlling the academic curriculum.

“The only reason the lab school exists is because [on-the-job training] is required for the baccalaureate degree in education. Its main purpose is to provide a facility for NMC teachers in training,” Deleon Guerrero said.