JOHN BERSENER JOYNER

PERSONAL

Married to: Yasuko Joyner
Children: Four—Jian, Jehn, Jawn, Jon

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Elementary & High School: Gary, Indiana

College: Bachelor’s degree in Master Divinity from the Fuller Theological Seminary; and bachelor’s degree in Education from Chicago Teachers’ College

Graduate School: Masters in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the Univ. Southern California, LA

Doctoral: Communicative Disorders, Clinical psychology from the Univ. of Southern California, LA

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Current job: Mediator, with Pacific Mediation

Previous jobs and company/agency name (in random order):

1. Professor, Indiana University for five years

2. Associate Professor at Harvard University

3. Visiting instructor at Columbia College

4. Visiting instructor at USC

5. Assistant Professor at Indiana University

6. Associate Dean at Indiana University

7. Instructor and Director for University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Northern Marianas College,

8. Chief of CNMI Division of Immigration

9. Cabinet member during former governor Lorenzo Guerrero’s administration.

10. Worked in steel mills, on railroad tracks, construction in the Midwest, finishing carpenter. (“These experiences provide information and knowledge that’s vital in sitting on the board, particularly on vocational education needs.”)

What would you consider the top three issues or concerns facing the CNMI educational system that demand immediate action?

What’s important for us is to have some understanding of education. Often we confuse education with schooling and we need to make a distinction between the two. Because what we have done is, we have rolled education and schooling into one. It is not the same. We need to have BOE understand that children and adults learn outside of school. It is important for us as BOE members to understand that there are other educating institution and means such as film, media, churches, judicial system, libraries and others. Education is the community and culture that educates and we have a strategic role in that and that would give the board the opportunity to help moms and dads get the learning for their children that they really want for them. That’s very important.

Values are important; that needs to be looked at, to the extent that we will influence what will happen tomorrow, such as reducing crime, building in a help component, reducing medical needs. We need to do that in the PSS.

However, whatever we do with education, it must serve the needs of “now.” My soon to be 8-year-old and 11-year-old, they need information now, how they can make decisions today. That’s the kind of idea we will present to BOE, to prepare children for the future, but in the process of doing that, we must maximize not only their potential but their abilities now, for the future.

That’s one of the aspects of the philosophy that needs to be in the Board of Education and in what manner does the candidate model the philosophy.

The board sets the policies and the commissioner does not. The commissioner administers policies set by the board. It’s not the other way around. The board needs to be confident of the policies enforced and that’s where the Commissioner will come into the picture and help.

How can the Public School System resolve its lack of funding in a manner that will be less dependent on the central government?

Inherent in this question is the premise that there isn’t enough money in PSS. Let’s look at where the reality is, that there really isn’t enough money. If we look at the purpose of what we’re doing, we might realize there might be different ways to prioritize matters.

The question there is not lack of funding but use of funding. We need to raise that question—enough money for what? Teacher’s training is important, build more buildings for the schools and others.

The question there is to what extent certain technology hinder the transfer of knowledge. These are the questions that need to be raised. How can we look at these other agencies who also get taxpayers’ money, how they can be involved in educating our children. How do we do that?

These are the kinds of question I want to raise rather than to get bogged down by personality issues.

My campaign is to provide a chance, to give people a choice for change.

What do you think must be done to resolve lingering questions over teacher retention and tenure?

They are related. Tenure has to do more with setting up rules that help establish some almost quasi-right to remain in the position or in the category. Retention is how we have the environment in which the person wants to stay. People leave bosses than their jobs. When they feel unappreciated, lack of communication, unclear instruction, these are the causes why they leave their work.

The question there is how do we help establish a school system that welcomes personnel. This question should be divided into two parts. Part A and Part B. Retention is one part and tenure is another. When we have a system, retention and tenure would not be a problem.

What is your vision for the Public School System in the CNMI? What are the steps that must be taken to achieve that vision?

I want 100 percent of our students to have an understanding of what they read and PSS helps make that happen. The board must focus on its policies, that any policy that it establishes must go through a filter of how it enhances or contributes to learning.