PSS ready to open new school year

The school district wrapped up last Friday’s series of professional development, training, and all back-to-school activities of all schools and programs of the preparation for Tuesday’s opening of the new school year.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 20, nearly 1,400 PSS employees will return to work in anticipation of welcoming 9,000-10,000 students and the reopening of 20 Saipan, Tinian, and Rota elementary, middle, and high school campuses as well as 10 Head Start/Early Head Start centers.

Close to 40 PSS yellow buses and special education vans will also roll out on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota to pick them up at designated bus stops/pick-up points and drop them off at their respective schools and centers.

“We are ready to start to open the new school year,” Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho said. “I am as excited as everyone else.”

On Friday, Camacho joined Special Education Program director Donna M. Flores in welcoming over 200 SPED professionals. These professionals include teachers, teacher aides, speech pathologists, speech therapists, and related service providers. The PSS-SPED Program held its SY2024-2025 back-to-school professional development at Grandvrio Resort Saipan.

In his remarks, Camacho said the special education program is very personal to him. He knows how SPED professionals provide invaluable services and impact the lives of individuals with special needs.

“I am a brother and an uncle of a person with special needs, and I know how you impact lives,” said Camacho in addressing the single largest gathering of PSS program personnel.

‘First full school year’

This is the first full school year for Camacho, who was only appointed last January. The education chief praised the Board of Education for their continued support.

“This is my first back-to-school experience as commissioner of education—and based on my conversations with our teachers, staff, parents, and students, I know you have given everything you can to our children. This is because you are also getting all the necessary support from your leaders, from our Board of Education to our PSS central office personnel.”

The education chief praised SPED Program director Flores for her leadership and role in the school district.

“Director Donna is a great adviser to me, to us, on matters of special education program and other key initiatives of the school system. Her role is invaluable,” Camacho said. “This is the reason why you have my support and my team’s support at central office, to ensure that our SPED Program will continue to succeed.”

Based on the last school year data, 2022-2023, the PSS-SPED Program has over 1,000 students. Children with special needs who are ages 0-5 and are receiving special education services are enrolled into the Early Intervention Program (if they are 0-2 years old), and the Early Childhood Program if they are 3-5 years old. The PSS SPED Program also provides similar support and program for students with special needs enrolled in private schools.

These services are provided by various PSS-SPED personnel, which represent about 20% of the school district’s total workforce.

“You all coming together reassures me how committed you are as teachers, teacher aides, bus drivers, speech pathologist, therapist, administrative staff,” adds the education chief. “Our students will not succeed without all of you…and you are supporting our general education teachers.”

The SPED Program director echoed the education chief’s message.

“You are the ultimate professionals who work together with our general education teachers. The commissioner of education (Dr. Camacho) is all praises of you because of what you do,” said Flores.

The Friday SPED professional development was facilitated by June Deleon of University of Guam’s CEDDERS Program. (PR)