SSHS losing teachers
About eight to 10 teachers of Saipan Southern High School are leaving the school at once, according to Board of Education chairman Roman Benavente said.
This, he said, is something that alarms him because “it’s a lot of them.”
Benavente said the teachers “have reasons” for leaving, but he declined to disclose them.
“I will have to investigate [that] first to ensure fairness,” said the chairman.
Benavente said that SSHS “is a fine school led by a very good principal” Peter Leau.
He said initial reports reaching him showed that the teachers have requested to be transferred to other schools.
The Public School System has not made public the total number of teachers leaving the system or those who have resigned.
Last year, 39 employees, including 35 teachers, left the PSS by end of school year.
PSS usually makes a survey of its staff early in the year to determine how many personnel need to be taken in for the fall enrolment.
PSS is counting on the Northern Marianas College and the Scholarship office to supply the needed number of personnel. Last year, PSS eyed 26 graduating students from NMC and three off-island graduates.
The PSS earlier reported 101 vacant FTEs out of 1,111 authorized total FTEs.
The board delegates the hiring of qualified teachers to school principals.
So far, Benavente said that except for funding needs, preparation for the new school year is “running smoothly.”
“It’s the same concern over the lack of funds. We’d appreciate any amount that we’d get from the administration or the Legislature at this time,” said the chairman.
