Providing equal opportunities for all students

Lucy Blanco-Maratita joined the Public School System’s Board of Education in January 2006. In January 2008 she was named Board chair. Here she answers some questions:

[B]Question: What is your background with the Public School System?

Answer:[/B] I have been a very active parent when my son first entered Head Start and then Tinian Elementary [School] some 20 years ago. I was a member of Head Start group, the elementary PTA and then became a PTA officer (I tried all positions, from secretary to president), was involved in special ed evaluation, accreditation, etc. All these happened before I even thought of running for a seat on the BOE. I really enjoyed helping at the schools, and up to now, I am still involved to some extent such as a member of the BOE, coaching our mock trial team, participating in career days, etc. I was never an employee of PSS, though.

[B]Q: Can you explain what some of the functions of the Board of Education are?

A:[/B] The functions of the BOE are addressed in Article XV of the Constitution. We are required to formulate policy, administer, and exercise control over the PSS through the Commissioner. We are also required to ensure that free public education is available to every person between 6-16 (compulsory age provided by statute); that our policies provide the maximum educational and training opportunities; that we listen to our community; we provide guidance to the students in developing their goals; and value our unique culture and languages.

[B]Q: Why did you want to be a part of the Board?

A:[/B] Initially, I ran because I wanted to do more for our students here on Tinian. I wanted to see that all students, no matter what island they were on, are afforded equal opportunities and the maximum educational and training opportunities. Now that I am on the Board, I realize the importance of not only ensuring the students on Tinian succeed, but that all our students in the CNMI succeed because that is critical to our future as a successful nation, a prosperous CNMI.

[B]Q: What are some of the toughest challenges facing the Public School System right now?

A:[/B] Budget, budget, budget. You only get what you pay for. So how can we provide the maximum educational and training opportunities as required under the Constitution and as we should give all our students, unless PSS is adequately funded?

Lack of understanding of critical educational data, research, and principles. We need to make sure that our policy makers, decision makers in other arenas, such as Legislature, administration, agencies, are given the right information, the data they need to make critical decisions that affect our PSS. They also need to be informed as to the basic education principles so that the policies they set actually advance educational goals and objectives.

Lack of local human resources—we need to ensure that we have local human resources for PSS to have the quality teachers and staff. We cannot afford to continue to recruit off-island because the competition is getting tougher due to the requirements and offers made by other jurisdictions and our inability to offer those same attractive incentives.

[B]Q: How can PSS overcome these problems?

A:[/B] Budget—work with our Legislators to come up with more innovative ways of making money for education and help our legislators understand the critical needs of our schools; share information more with the public about education in general and needs of schools in particular. Human resources—encourage more scholarships for teachers, counselors, special education staff and professionals, etc.

[B]Q: During your term as chair, what would you like to accomplish?

A:[/B] I would like to see a perfect school system wherein out students look forward to going to school each morning because they are challenged and love learning; the teachers flock to the gates because they love what they do and feel a sense of fulfillment from working for PSS and with our students, and that the parents, community, and public are very supportive of our schools.

But that may take many moons and I may not see those many moons. So, as a chair, I want to see PSS offer more career technical education courses, have a portfolio program in place for our students that they can use as a vehicle to preparing for their future, and have an academic counseling guidance system in place where students can access to plan for their future, such as college application and job training placement, a system in which PSS and the Board can use data from these academic guidance assessments to plan for system improvements, and further collaboration with other agencies to meet our students’ needs.

[B]Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A:[/B] I just wish that our parents [would] get more involved in the education of their children. They should not leave it to chance. They should take an active interest in what they are learning, talking to their children, their children’s teachers, come visit the schools, talk to us, talk to the legislators. Demand the very best education for your children and work with us to get that for all our students. This involvement also applies to our parents of junior high and high school students. These are the special years where parents need to continue to be involved. The student needs that guidance especially in these years while they are planning what to do after graduation. I know that we can achieve the very best but only if we all work together.