Four eyed as acting PSS chief

With the resignation of Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred B. Ada last week, the 18th CNMI State Board of Education will be appointing an acting education commissioner, with four Public School System employees now being considered for the post.

A PSS news release has affirmed that the BOE is looking at four employees who could be considered for the position of acting education commissioner. They have not released the names of the four.

The PSS statement said an interim education commissioner will be named “to ensure the seamless continuity of public education services to all stakeholders of [PSS].”

The BOE met in an emergency meeting last Friday, Aug. 25, in their office on Capital Hill on the heels of Ada’s resignation last week due to health reasons.

In that meeting, the BOE agreed to discuss Ada’s resignation and the immediate appointment of an acting PSS in an executive session—a closed-door meeting that is not open to the public and the media.

Present during the meeting was BOE chair Antonio L. Borja, secretary/treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, member Andrew L. Orsini, and member Maisie B. Tenorio. Vice chair Herman Atalig was present virtually.

Also present were non-public school representative Dr. Ron Snyder and BOE legal counsel Tiberius Mocanu.

The session lasted from about 2:30pm to 6pm—which was prolonged due to a power outage in the area around 4pm.

“Dr. Alfred B. Ada, who steered our school district especially during its most difficult times, and, by his thoughtful leadership and earnest work, addressed many of the challenges by ensuring that PSS remained focused on student learning, has decided to step down due to health reasons. We have accepted his resignation today (Aug. 25),” Borja said in a statement.

Ada’s resignation takes effect on Sept. 1 after over 30 years within PSS. He was appointed as education commissioner in 2019.

As the policy making and governing body of the school district, the BOE is responsible for the hiring of an education commissioner.

Borja expressed optimism that, whoever is selected as the acting education commissioner will be able to fulfill his or her acting role “with utmost professionalism, integrity and efficiency geared toward students first.

“Guided by PSS’ ‘Strategic Priorities PLUS,’ its direction for growth, the BOE believes that acting commissioner will be able to serve PSS and work with all stakeholders with effective leadership, transparency, and accountability,” said the PSS news release.

Mocanu explained the process of the appointment of an acting commissioner of education: “For the appointment of [acting] commissioner, the BOE came up with four names. They won’t be mentioned… because they have to be contacted first if they are willing to take on the role. They will be contacted (according to) order. Once we have confirmation that particular person is willing to take on the role, that person will be announced.”

The BOE will then reconvene at a later date to ratify the appointment.

Borja explained the need to appoint an acting education chief: “We need to appoint an acting [education commissioner] for us to continue providing uninterrupted services, including programs and initiatives, to our public school students and to all our stakeholders on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.”

The BOE praised Ada’s decision to prioritize his health over all else.

“We applaud him for being proactive in taking preventive care of his health and wellbeing,” Borja said. “Health and wellbeing will always be paramount to all of us. Dr. Ada understands what is best for him—and that it is absolutely above everything else.”