PSS projects slight increase in enrollment

The Public School System expects only a slight increase in its enrollment for school year 2011-2011, according to Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan.

Sablan told Saipan Tribune that more solid data would be known this month after her meeting with school principals this month. Schools, she said, just opened their registrations.

“We actually projected our enrollment and we see a slight increase, but I won’t have anything more firm until the July 11 meeting with all the principals,” she said.

PSS ended the 2010-2011 school year with over 10,000 enrollees in its 20 campuses on three islands. Its five public high schools graduated 676 graduates this school year: Saipan Southern High, 151; Kagman High, 182; Marianas High, 262; Rota High, 31; and Tinian High, 50.

Sablan said she has not changed her expectations for public schools and is still very firm in terms of what the Board of Education has mandated.

The school year 2011-2012 will officially open on Sept. 5 and Sablan assured that PSS is prepared, with an adequate number of teachers and safe school environment.

Repairs and renovation work in schools, as well as recruitment of replacement teachers, are ongoing.

Sablan said the 12 elementary education students who recently graduated from the Northern Marianas College may be hired by PSS for the upcoming school year.

She also disclosed that 20 PSS employees recently obtained their master’s degrees, which will help them comply with the highly qualified personnel mandate.

As of Thursday last week, there were only 102 teachers who have yet to be classified as highly qualified teachers, pending their passing of the Praxis tests, according to Board of Education chair Marylou Ada. She expressed optimism that a large number of these teachers may soon comply with the HQT requirements when results come in.

Come July 31, non-HQTs will no longer be allowed to teach in public schools pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education’s No Left Behind Act of 2001.

At present, 82 percent of public school teachers are HQT, which means they have degrees, valid certifications, and are Praxis compliant.

An official from the U.S. Department of Education, Christine Jackson, is scheduled to make a historic visit this month to Rota schools, said Commissioner Sablan.

Jackson will be meeting with Sablan on Rota on July 14.

The commissioner said that Jackson is part of a contingent of USDOE officials who will visit Guam this month. Upon learning of their visit to Guam, Sablan said she invited Jackson to also visit the CNMI.

Jackson, she said, chose to visit Rota schools—a first for the USDOE official.

“This is going to be a historic visit. She wanted to see our schools there and we’re very happy to meet with her on Rota,” Sablan said.