Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan, in her report to the Board of Education, said of the 726 teaching staff members, 460 are classroom teachers; 50 are other classroom teachers for the JROTC, reading resource, technical career, special education, and bilingual classes; and 216 are teacher aides, including the 30 non-degree Head Start instructors.
PSS has 280 classroom teachers at the elementary level: kindergarten has 20; first grade, 42; second grade, 42; third, 43; fourth, 40; fifth, 39; sixth, 31; and 23, other classroom teachers.
Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School has 13 teachers for its 225 students; Tanapag, 12 for 232; Garapan, 37 for 791; Oleai, 23 for 512; San Vicente, 32 for 684; Kagman Elementary, 29 for 627; Dandan, 20 for 449; William S. Reyes, 30 for 688; San Antonio, 14 for 311; Koblerville, 20 for 432; Tinian Elementary, 16 for 279; Sinapalo, 13 for 217; Tinian Jr. & High, 16 for 301; Rota Jr. High, nine for 133; Rota High, 10 for 169; Hopwood Jr. High, 41 for 1,140; Chacha Oceanview, 19 for 447; Marianas High School, 51 for 1,220; Kagman High, 30 for 784; and Saipan Southern High, 27 for 728.
According to PSS, as of Oct. 2008, the public schools’ Praxis compliance rate was 65.7 percent — of the 487 classroom teachers who took the Praxis 1 and 2 tests, 320 had passed both.
Praxis is one of the three highly qualified teacher requirements set by PSS. The other two are acquiring a degree and a valid teaching certificate.
In the elementary level, of the 271 classroom teachers, 177 have passed Praxis I while 171 passed Praxis 2.
According to PSS, 61.3 percent of its elementary school teachers are already Praxis compliant.
Among the secondary level teachers, the Praxis compliance rate is 69.6 percent, or 133 classroom teachers.
There were 191 teachers at the secondary level of which 151 passed Praxis 1 and 137 passed Praxis 2.
At the PSS central office, only one staff member is Praxis compliant; at the early childhood program, two; at the special education program, 18; and at the Head Start program, none.
