Why their children attend private and not public schools, they call it “parental choice.”<\/p>\n
This is a view shared by some Board of Education members after doubts have been raised on their “confidence” in public education as authorities deciding on the fate of the Public School System.<\/p>\n
BOE Chair Frances H. Diaz explained that her decision to send one of her kids to a private school is due to the more “personalized” attention accorded to every child in the classroom.<\/p>\n
Ms. Diaz said the decision is not because of the popular perception that public education is inferior compared to education acquired from private schools.<\/p>\n
“I sent my child to a private school and because I paid for it, I expect a return of investment. And I expect my child to get grades no less than A’s,” she said.<\/p>\n
BOE member Anthony Pellegrino urged the rest of the board have the same expectations from PSS.<\/p>\n
But these expectations remain farfetched when PSS has barely enough teachers to oversee the instruction of students in the classroom.<\/p>\n
“We are always trying to reduce the class size but how can we when we lack the funds to support this effort?” BOE member Esther Fleming asked.<\/p>\n
The fact remains that students still outnumber teachers in PSS five times than the present situation in CNMI private schools.<\/p>\n
Public school teachers handle an average of 20 students per class, according to the board chair.<\/p>\n
In private schools, four is to one is the ideal student-teacher ratio.<\/p>\n
This major deterrent to public education is still one of the hurdles the board is continuously trying to address.<\/p>\n
BOE Public School Teacher Representative David Borja suggested parent involvement as a solution to enhance student quality in public schools.<\/p>\n
“Our teachers are crying for help,” said Mr. Borja.<\/p>\n
He personally added that inside his classroom, he handles a maximum of 30 students. His smallest class size is 18.<\/p>\n
Earlier, BOE Vice Chair Roman C. Benavente also shared sentiments on what he perceived as a reason why many education programs in the CNMI, as well as in the states, continue to be underfunded.<\/p>\n
Mr. Benavente said the lack of funding on education initiatives remain due to the fact that majority of the Commonwealth’s leaders enroll their children in private schools.<\/p>\n
He added that the leaders’ interest is simply not evident based on the present set-up.<\/p>\n
As a result, prominent leaders tend to develop a sense of ownership for the institution by which they have placed their long-term investment on, Mr. Benavente added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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