In previous years, there were three categories for employees, but this time there will be nine.
“The people that came together to do this were the principals, vice principals, the program managers, and the commissioner’s leadership team. And so they came back and agreed that we should recognize nine categories,” said Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan
These are Teacher of the Year, Teacher Aide or Instructor, Counselor of the Year,
Related Service Provider, Administrator of the Year, Support Staff of the Year from Transportation, Administrative and Trade and Maintenance.
“In the Public School System there are many groups of people that work. We identified the different occupations and that is how it came out,” said Sablan.
Twenty Teachers of the Year nominees from different public elementary and high schools have already been named.
The nominees for the secondary schools are: Michael Mercado of ChaCha Oceanview Junior High School, Maria Omes of Marianas High School, Amme Steiner of Rota Junior High School, Wilma Hofschneider of Hopwood Junior High School, Leila Staffer of Kagman High School, Elizabeth Manibusan of Rota High School, William De Witt of Saipan Southern High School, and Regina Palacios of Tinian Junior and Senior High.
The nominees from the elementary schools are Cristina Yohanan of San Vicente, Lawrence Buniag of Garapan, Theresa Camacho of Dandan, Sara Echanis of Sinapalo, Catherine Cabrera of San Antonio, Lynna Mendiola of Koblerville, Dina Kaliga of Tanapag, Jaime Tudela of Gregorio T. Camacho, Joann L. Dela Cruz of Tinian, Dorina Salavaria of William S. Reyes and Thelma Cing of Kagman.
The winners for all categories will be announced on Nov. 25, the culmination of the month- long activity.
The Teacher of the Year will be the PSS representative in the national search whose winner will be awarded at the White House.
“One of the highlights of the Teacher of the Year event is the invitation that comes from the [U.S.] in coordination with the White House. Teachers from the different states and territories will convene and one teacher will be named the National Teacher of the Year,” Sablan said.
