Former Rep. Juan Iguel Tenorio with wife Rosita.
TANAPAG resident and president of the newly reorganized Commonwealth Retirees Association, Juan Iguel Tenorio, is running for one of Saipan’s two open seats on the non-partisan Board of Education.
Tenorio, who also has worked for the Public School System for 22 years and is a former House member, said he made the decision to run for the BOE because he was asked by teachers to help them address their concerns.
“I accepted their request and have been in constant communication with them to show my commitment to their cause and the challenges faced by most teachers in the CNMI that I intend to resolve,” he added.
Tenorio said he is committed to help teachers and students uphold the Public School System’s motto, “Students First.”
Among the concerns shared with him by teachers are the changes to the PSS personnel management policy, Tenorio said.
“PSS has a personnel office at the central office, but the school administrators/principals were given the authority to renew or not renew teachers’ contracts,” he added.
“From the several termination letters shown to me by affected teachers, the principals just wrote a letter informing them that their contracts are not to be renewed and without reason. In my 18 years of human resource experience, I find that very erroneous, and that is what they call wrongful termination,” Tenorio added.
He said, “In any employment, be it government or private, an employee can be terminated for violating policies of the company or government. But to be terminated for no reason is very questionable. That is just one of the many issues shared to me by teachers — they told me about it.”
Tenorio at the same time encourages voters to exercise their right to vote.
“I am asking all the CNMI voters to please come out and exercise your right, so that we can all help each other in making some changes so we can be better off. We all know the struggles and the hardships happening in our community. I just couldn’t take having friends canceling their family life insurance so they could be able to pay [for] their medical and utility bills.”
The other Saipan BOE candidates are incumbent members Greg Borja and Maisie Tenorio, former Rep. Martin B. Ada and Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, chair of the Public Land Advisory Board and Chief Aghurubw Foundation president.
