The truth on BOE not a white washing

I want to expose the truth and not white wash the past events with BOE. There should and needs to be an “open Legislative hearing” on the conduct of the entire board presidents. The accusations of the board and the ones I have made certainly raised eyebrows of the people. We (the people) need and want an investigation with a final report being given to the people. Our children’s future hangs in the balance with this board and we need to hold the BOE and Ambrose M. Bennett ACCOUNTABLE. Teachers and the general public have a right to know if indeed the allegations of BOE have any merit. We have accepted the decisions of the Board at “face value” entirely tooooo long. The board has opened the door for their “phony” allegations to at least be reviewed given their public appeals to the governor. Now they are trying to hold their own “illegal” election, which violates the legal opinion of the AG’s office. So do we (teachers and the community) go for the white wash or the truth and nothing but the truth?

The board’s accusations should not and cannot be accepted at face value in light of the many documented protest I have raised over the board’s mistreatment of teachers and the BOE teacher rep. I can’t be the only one that cares if the board is lying or not. I have nothing to hide but BOE certainly does. BOE can openly complain about the governor, the Legislature, parents, me and almost anyone that tries to put in their two cents but they don’t think anyone can openly complain about BOE. I’m sure that teachers and people in the community are wanting on an “investigation before making any determination” about an election and I don’t blame them, especially the teachers and parents. The board has made some very serious statements that amount to nothing more than slander and if they get away by “white washing” everything away with a new election, it will be a horrible injustice to students, teachers, parents and the community at large because they will never know the real TRUTH about their Board of Education and the BOE teacher rep.

Technically, the governor nor anyone else have the authority to “investigate” the board’s “ethical behavior,” as we have left it up to the board to police themselves and we know what that means, which is why BOE is getting away with breaking the law, lying, scheming, backstabbing and unethical practices. BOE has published an incomplete BOE agenda in the news just to surprise me with an ambush in the BOE meeting on April 27, which violates CNMI law 8-41. I CAN PROVE IT if the Attorney General’s Office is really about justice and corruption and wants to do their JOB to get to the bottom of this matter. I left the meeting for two legitimate reasons and I didn’t lie like BOE did with the agenda. If the BOE gets away with this, I won’t feel sorry for myself but for all the children and teachers in the system that must endure the leadership of high school mentalities that has become nothing more than a “rubber stamp” of the COE. If you will check the record of the chairman’s report and ideas for improving the system are “NON EXISTANT” over the past year—just rubber stamp and keep Ambrose out of the way. I’m just holding the BOE accountable and they don’t like it one bit because I keep the public informed on their shenanigans, which keeps backfiring and they still don’t get—do the right thing.

I challenge all the stakeholders in our education system to demand the TRUTH before buying this cover up because the problem will still exist. Arrogance coupled with a high school education for leadership IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM and the people I’ve talked with deemed it UNACCEPTABLE. Just to refresh your memories, my predecessor, Mr. Keiper who was the BOE rep for ACT also stated repeatedly on the news that the board behaved like a dictatorship—so we (the people) shouldn’t expect BOE to be any different with me. I’m just better at this game than Mr. Keiper and the board’s only defense is to try and destroy the support I have by manipulating the conditions and incidents to attack my character. Furthermore, I’m sure teachers are not “idiots” and realize it would indeed be foolish to get rid of the ONLY person in the CNMI with the capacity to stand up to this board and speak up for teachers. Even if the Board could get away with this white washing, I will still win the election and we will be right back where we started—TEACHERS ARE afraid but NOT IDIOTS BOE!

Furthermore, there can be no election when the post is occupied and the expiration date has not been reached. The Governor forgot his own removal policy in his haste to try and separate himself from the issue and I totally understand why this is being an election year. The board is placing “undue” political pressure on the governor because he really doesn’t have the power to remove me solely on a BOE request anyway. He even asked the reporters “remove Bennett for what” because I haven’t done anything that warrants my removal based on the complaint—BOE’s distaste for me is insufficient. But the governor did established a removal policy that must be applied first—meaning a majority of teachers must request by petition for the removal of the BOE teacher rep before there is an election for a new one. The governor just wants NO PART of this and he has passed the buck back to TRC and the teachers who elected me. The governor IS NOT GOING TO REMOVE ME, the board CAN’T REMOVE ME nor can BOE initiate or be involved in an election and they should have learned that the first time when the BOE was declared “invalid.” If BOE holds an election, the governor can’t legally sponsor the election for BOE and it would violate the clearly stated opinion of the former AG Herbert Soll”—end of that story.

I also wish to clear up the board’s claims that I don’t represent all the teachers. I have 231 signatures from none schools that say teachers support ME—and the school reps have more because I never collected all the school listings, they weren’t needed for the election but I do remember the total was 74 percent of teachers. I have kept their names confidential to prevent the board from targeting these teachers. These same teachers also signed for the unclaimed lottery funds. It is also stated in the Constitution that I “represent” and speak for all teachers.” Members of our Legislature don’t argue about whom they represent and how many votes they got even when they win or lose by ONE VOTE because it doesn’t matter once elected and teachers need to do likewise. Arguing among teachers is really playing into the board’s desire to keep us divided and in disarray. I was duly elected by law and until 2008—END OF STORY! We (the people) need to be all teachers and the community headed in ONE DIRECTION for the TRUTH and not a WHITE WASHING because only the TRUTH WILL SET US FREE of this mess forever.

Ambrose Bennett
Kagman