There has been no replacement for the previous permanent secretary of Education, who retired on September 30 last year. There has been no principal at Marshall Islands High School since the previous one resigned in December. And despite available funding since October 1, 2010 new teachers needed to meet U.S. Western Association of Schools and Colleges’ accreditation recommendations have yet to be hired for Marshall Islands High School — the only public school in the Marshall Islands that is U.S. accredited.
Officials with the government’s Public Service Commission, which is in charge of hiring, and Chief Secretary Casten Nemra said work is in progress on these appointments. But the current school year, which started in August last year, is nearly over.
After 10 years in the post, Education Secretary Biram Stege retired effective September 30 last year, giving her notice to the government nearly a year ago.
Nemra on Thursday described the Secretary of Education as a “significant post” that oversees nearly half of the government’s workforce. He indicated there are some candidates on the table and “consultations are taking place” to reach a decision. “I hope within this month the next Secretary of Education will be announced.”
The lack of a principal at Marshall Islands High School is causing problems that both Nemra and Education officials confirmed.
“Teachers are missing classes, students are doing poorly, and it’s the most critical time of year when we should be pushing students toward college — but there is no leadership at the school,” said one Education administrator. He said this was no disrespect to the acting principal who is doing her best in a difficult situation.
The problem, the official said, is that the decision for hiring a principal is not with Education, but rests with the Public Service Commission. “The school is waiting for action from outside of the school,” the official said. Nemra remarked that teacher attendance problems have been brought to his attention, and he commented: “It is no excuse for teachers to slack off because there is no principal. I hope this is a reflection of only a few of the teachers.”
Ministry of Education officials said they support the application of former Delap Elementary School Principal Evelyn Konou for the principal job at the high school.
Public Service Commission officials, who also say they support Konou for the post, said a hurdle to hiring Konou is the requested salary, which is higher than previously paid.
But the Education official said, “the issue shouldn’t be salary. The issue is what’s going on at Marshall Islands High School and the needs of the school.”
Konou is credited with turning the elementary school into one of the best-run, academically accomplished public schools in Marshall Islands, and after she retired two years ago, the school has continued to function at a high level. “We all know what she did at Delap Elementary School, and the people she worked with have been able to continue (the progress),” said the Education official.
Nemra said that the Public Service has made amendments to its usual salary structure in the past when it needed to, and can do it again. “We want her (Konou) to be principal of MIHS,” Nemra said. He said he had seen a contract two weeks ago that still had “some discrepancies” but he believed that these should have been fixed by now.
Education officials said they submitted to the Public Service Commission the detailed information needed to begin hiring new teachers for Marshall Islands High School before December. But the government’s hiring agency only announced these positions publicly last week, four months later.
“We have teachers’ salaries budgeted for SY2011 (the current year),” the Education official said. “They were ready to be hired in December and we still don’t have them hired.”
The Ministry is attempting to meet WASC-requirements to maintain its accreditation at Marshall Islands High School. One of these requirements is to increase the number of teachers at the high school to improve the learning environment for students.
