PSS, CAO to collaborate in hiring bilingual instructors

Interim Education commissioner Donna M. Flores led a team of five Public School System officials in meeting Carolinian Affairs Office executive assistant Felix Nogis last Friday to bring good news: five new Carolinian instructors were hired and more to come.

The meeting between Flores and Nogis also led to a breakthrough, after months of back-and-forth, about working together to hire bilingual teachers. This was the first time for a sitting chief state school superintendent to meet with the Carolinian Affairs Office to address the issue of lack of bilingual teachers.

Flores was joined by Human Resource officer Lucretia B. Deleon Guerrero, and PSS program managers Asapmar Ogumoro, Vinnie Orsini, Jonas Barcinas (in his capacity as former Chamorro Carolinian and Language and Heritage Studies program manager), and Carolinian curriculum writer Monica Pua.

“Thank you for meeting with us. With the support of our BOE chairperson Antonio Borja and the entire BOE, and our central office team, we are here to meet with you to make good efforts in answering and finding ways to address our lack of bilingual teachers—both Carolinian and Chamorro,” Flores told Nogis.

“As you have been made aware by my predecessors, PSS has been earnestly working to ensure that we are able to address the lack of and inadequate bilingual classroom instructors because of various reasons, primarily, among others, due to recruitment difficulties, minimum hiring requirements, and lack of local funding,” explained Flores.

Both Flores and Nogis agreed to cooperate and partner to address the issue.

“Coming together is a positive sign,” Nogis said. “Getting together and talking about finding a common ground on the issue is a positive sign.”

New hires

Deleon Guerrero told Nogis that five new instructors under an independent contract have been hired within the past month and were assigned to various public schools on Saipan.

Deleon Guerrero said they are optimistic PSS will eventually fill the gap with the need for bilingual classroom instructors.

Flores said PSS will work with CAO by building on Nogis’ “recommendations and advocacy.”

“We at PSS truly admire your advocacy and focus on promoting Carolinian language instruction at the schools” added Flores.

The hiring of the five new additional bilingual instructors is the result of PSS’ decision to provide a third option (alternative) by giving local residents the opportunity to be class instructors.

Under a professional service contract with PSS, the Carolinian instructors are afforded every professional growth opportunity given to all classroom teachers in the school district.

“Our newly hired [Carolinian] instructors have been provided with and availed of professional support that PSS provides to all classroom teachers: professional development and training, and invited to participate in the mentee and mentorship program. These opportunities will help build our local workforce,” Deleon Guerrero told Nogis.

PSS is required by local and federal statutes and guidelines when hiring classroom teachers, that a person must have a minimum college degree.

The reason for the RFP for bilingual teachers is the “flexibility” that the PSS has implemented to hire locally sourced and trained bilingual instructors. This was implemented with the direction and support of the BOE.

For many years now, despite PSS’ aggressive work in recruiting teachers, the mandated minimum requirements have hindered the hiring Carolinian bilingual instructors. The basic requirements for a bilingual teacher include employment application, police clearance, résumé, high school diploma, and official transcripts.

In 2017, the BOE approved PSS’ redesign of its instructional coaching program, which led to the review and assessment of hiring classroom teachers, including Carolinian and Chamorro bilingual instructors.

The RFP is the third alternative to attract both Chamorro and Carolinian to apply for instructors.

Joint effort

Nogis has offered to assist PSS in lobbying for funding for the hiring of additional Chamorro and Carolinian Language and Heritage Studies instructors under the RFP/contract system implemented by PSS.

While the number of CCLHS bilingual instructors needed in every school depends on the student population, PSS-HRO said it would at least need at least 30 bilingual instructors. This will cost an additional $1.4 million in local funds.

Nogis also said his office had been assisting PSS in “recruiting” bilingual teachers.

“I am glad that there is recruitment. In fact, the [CAO] played a major role. We have been announcing it [as well],” Nogis said.

He and Flores proposed—and agreed—to work together in lobbying with the Legislature for the continuous funding of PSS’ CCLHS program’s hiring of classroom instructors.

PSS, according to Flores, will prepare for an updated budget recommendation/proposal that she will share with CAO. In turn, Nogis will help lobby with lawmakers for its inclusion in the budget for the new fiscal year.

“We at PSS are being creative and proactive. We welcome all help and support, especially from your office, in ensuring we are able to continually hire bilingual instructors and continue to provide adequate learning opportunities for our students,” Flores said.

Nogis acknowledged and expressed appreciation to Flores for reaching out.

“At least I have the chance to express our frustration; there’s two-way communication now,” Nogis said.

Flores and Nogis will meet again this month and early next month to check on the progress of their joint work.

“This is big progress, a very big development,” Nogis said.

Flores agrees: “We are all advocates for our people. We work as one Public School System. We are one community here—and this is the reason why we want to work with all of our stakeholders including and particularly the [CAO].” (PR)