IN THE past couple of decades, I have written about the general condition of our educational system, openly sharing my beliefs of what the ideal teaching and learning environment should be on our island. The subjects I have debated are wide-ranging and still remain controversial, from the political “blanket” use of Direct Instruction as a reform program, to the ineptness of top leadership at “downtown” GDOE. However, seeing the trees from the forest has become a new priority for me. I believe the public must become more attuned to functions of GDOE through the eyes of a public school teacher, particularly with regard to how schools are led.

Without a doubt, my past views and opinions on education have brought me enough harassment and connived “setups” by administrators to last several lifetimes. Many attempts have been made at banishing me forever from the educational scene, yet they fail. I have somehow survived it all, from endless letters of reprimand and suspensions, to unfounded accusations and arrests. Although GDOE has succeeded in deeply tarnishing my name in the public’s eye, I will continue to champion the cause of a more responsive and appropriate public education system on Guam. I shall remain an outspoken critic of education on Guam.

For the past several months, I have confronted an acting administrator who remains “green,” displaying poor management skills and a severe lack of pedagogical knowledge. Even before his departure as our school’s principal to become the acting deputy superintendent of Educational Support and Community Learning, Robert Malay had assured me that a comparably competent and effective administrator would take his place. Apparently, this didn’t occur. What I continue to discover is a figure of growing incompetence, dodging opportunities for school improvement.

At the “get-go,” the acting administrator threatened the safety of school children by allowing several military personnel volunteers to hug and throw kindergarteners into the air at the school’s playground during recess, ignoring safety protocols, behavioral limitations, and possible liabilities. Within the same timeframe, the administrator also failed to screen donated books that entered the school library, which were ultimately borrowed by some students, showing illicit drug use, sexually-related overtones, and other inappropriate behavior. I discovered one of these books when my 9-year-old son asked me, “Daddy, what’s the white stuff under the man’s nose?”

About a month ago, the acting administrator sent out a threatening email to teachers about being tardy and leaving campus early. The irony is that most faculty and staff are at school before the acting administrator, who usually comes well after 8 a.m. A fellow teacher once retorted, “Why should I listen to anyone who doesn’t practice what they preach?” Hence, many teachers now check in at 8 a.m., rather than 15 minutes earlier at 7:45.

My office is located within the school’s library surrounded by hollow tile walls, where I am able to overhear most conversations that come and go. Each day, as I evaluate tests or update reports, I hear the librarian interrogating, and then degrading individual students who come without their borrowed books. Even while knowing that most of these students are indigent, the librarian often says, “That book is worth $75. Do you think your parents can pay that much money? I don’t believe they can pay even half of that!” In broken esteem, many of these children can be heard crying. Even after my repeated complaints to the acting administrator about the librarian’s destructive and unethical attacks against individual students, the issue is ignored as being a low priority.

I am not saying that all schools are without good leadership, but the fact is many are. In his capacity, Mr. Malay must ensure that mechanisms are in place to evaluate and closely monitor principals’ pedagogical and managerial skills. As they continue being complacent, the true educational goals we aim for, as a community, are neglected. A good first requirement would be that principals have 10 years of teaching experience and take several courses of upper-level business management before entering the field of administration. Certainly, if such low-skilled leadership can be found at my school, then just imagine what is happening at your child’s school. Poor leadership will always equate to poor learning outcomes.

It’s time that all teachers and parents speak up and break these traditions of endangerment, irresponsibility and degradation by insisting that GDOE implement a formal and stringent evaluation system for all principals. Such a system has been avoided for far too long. As a taxpayer, you deserve and should expect higher quality leadership within all of Guam’s public schools. Principals must lead by example, not with incompetence or ignorance.

Elwin Champaco Quitano,
Dededo