THE Public School System has begun its community and stakeholders outreach for a major initiative, the “Portrait of a Learner and Graduate,” which is designed to reinforce the school district’s current curriculum and programs that prepare high school students for their after-high school choices.
During his first strategic planning institute with stakeholders in June, Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho launched the PSS Five Year Strategic Plan, which included the “Portrait of a Learner-Portrait of a Graduate” initiative.
“Our Public School System’s goal is to produce high school graduates who are prepared for college, the workforce, and life,” Camacho said. “This initiative aims to provide our students with the confidence that they have a place in our community — on this island — and that they can use their knowledge and abilities to contribute,” he added.
On Tuesday on Rota, Camacho, along with PSS Senior Director for Instructional Services Jackie Quitugua and Career Technical and Education Program Director Dr. Jessica Taylor, joined the representative of the Southern Regional Education Board or SREB, Dr. Linda Floyd, for a stakeholders session and outreach.
The SREB is considered to have pioneered, and is now the leading organization in the U.S. exploring, the concept of a “portrait of a graduate” that aligns a school district’s educational goals with student outcomes.
Floyd and Camacho facilitated the workshop and session with stakeholders of Rota, including Mayor Aubry Hocog, and representatives of Rota’s Department of Labor, Northern Marianas College-CREES Aquaculture Program, and the Northern Marianas Technical Institute.
Also participating were Career Technical and Education teachers and administrators of Rota’s Sinapalo Elementary School and Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr.-Sr. High School.
“Our five-year strategic direction calls for cooperation and partnership with all relevant parties, including our parents, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders. Our five-year strategic plan is basically in line with what SREB has,” Camacho said.
“With our initiative, we are supporting our children’s desire to be successful in life, to be problem-solvers of our community, and to give back what they learned from us to this community,” he added.
Senior Director Quitugua agreed. “What we currently have in PSS is exactly the same as [SREB’s] initiative,” she said. “Our partnership is about how we can gather the visions of all stakeholders and why it is important to prepare high school graduates for college, career and life.”
According to Career Technical and Education Program Director Taylor, PSS is working closely with Southern Regional Education Board’s Dr. Linda Floyd, who is conducting sessions and outreach activities throughout the school district starting on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
PSS officials and a SREB team will travel to Tinian to meet with its stakeholders on Nov. 19-20, 2024.
Floyd will conduct training on simulated workplace with PSS Career and Technical Education teachers as well as walkthroughs in secondary schools.
Additional training and professional development sessions in the next two weeks will involve school officials, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders.
Southern Regional Education Board’s Dr. Linda Floyd, right, speaks as Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence Camacho listens.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, left, listens to Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog during a Portrait of a Learner/Portrait of a Graduate outreach and training session on Rota on Tuesday.
Rota educators, including Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior-Senior High School Principal Annette Calvo, Vice Principal Deseriee Pendergrass, classrooms teachers Armie Atalig, Vanee Barcinas, Elvira Mesngon and Sabrina Calvo, were among the participants in Tuesday’s professional development and outreach session.
Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog, other municipal government officials, staff and community members participate in a professional development and outreach session on Tuesday.
