THE Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System often promotes its commitment to fairness, equity, and transparency. Yet, within its own ranks, employees have raised serious concerns that these principles are too often ignored — particularly in the Human Resources division and leadership oversight.
According to CNMI Board of Education Personnel Regulations, every position in PSS must be classified based on actual duties and responsibilities performed. This ensures that employees are recognized and compensated fairly under a transparent and consistent system. Positions must be analyzed, grouped logically into classes, and allocated according to objective criteria. This framework, outlined in § 60-30.1-402, protects both employees’ rights and the integrity of the system.
Despite this framework, reports indicate that positions are frequently misclassified, with employees performing director-level duties labeled as managers, while others with no supervisory responsibility hold director titles. These discrepancies are not minor oversights but suggest favoritism, inconsistent application of regulations, and administrative neglect.
The Human Resources Department — under the leadership of its Director — is responsible for upholding the Board’s personnel regulations and ensuring accurate, fair position classification. Yet the Department has repeatedly failed in these core duties: ignoring years of employee service, refusing to credit stateside teaching experience, and misclassifying positions in direct conflict with § 60-30.1-402 and related standards. These are not isolated errors but signs of a deeper systemic failure.
Compounding this, the Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services has contributed to an increasingly disorganized and chaotic departmental structure. Organizational charts are frequently altered, inconsistent, or fabricated in ways that misalign employees with the proper hierarchy, sometimes placing individuals into positions that are not supported by regulations or possibly BOE approval. This creates confusion across the department, undermines proper chain of command, and further obstructs fair classification and personnel decisions.
The Commissioner of Education carries ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with classification regulations and timely resolution of grievances. Likewise, the elected members of the Board of Education must be responsive to their constituents, providing meaningful oversight and accountability. They are responsible for ensuring employees receive due process without obstruction. Yet employees report grievances left unresolved for years, documents withheld or heavily redacted, and legal counsel used to justify delays rather than uphold fairness.
The role of PSS Legal Counsel is critical: they are responsible for providing objective, ethical, and lawful guidance. This includes advising grievance hearing panels on all pertinent regulations, not selectively offering subjective interpretations that fit a preferred narrative. Yet repeated involvement in obstructing the grievance process has eroded trust, raising serious concerns about professional ethics and the system’s commitment to transparency.
This dysfunction is particularly ironic at a time when PSS seeks increased government funding — including a legal claim to its 25% allocation. The public must ask: if the system cannot administer fairness and accountability internally, can it be trusted with additional resources?
To restore confidence, PSS must act decisively:
1) Conduct an independent audit of HR classification and pay practices to identify and correct inequities.
2) Implement transparent grievance procedures, ensuring timely resolution and full accountability.
3) Provide public disclosure of classification and salary data to restore trust and transparency.
4) Undertake a professional ethics review of legal counsel’s role in obstructing due process.
5) Ensure stronger oversight by the Commissioner and Board, treating all employees equitably and with respect.
Fairness and accountability are not optional — they are fundamental to public service. Only by upholding these principles can PSS serve the students, staff, and families of the Commonwealth with integrity. The question is simple: will PSS demonstrate it can manage internal fairness before asking for more from the public?
GLENN SMITH
Saipan, CNMI
PSS replies:
The Public School System, through the Office of the Commissioner of Education, strictly adheres to Board of Education Personnel Regulations, including well-placed and clear procedures for hiring, classification, and grievances.
