THE Public School System’s accountability policy is at stake in the Board of Education’s failure to organize due to a lack of quorum, Education Commissioner Alfred B. Ada said.
PSS’s accountability system is implemented by its Department of Accountability, Research & Evaluation to provide support for data-informed decision-making. The accountability program’s functions include supporting schools by providing data tools, publishing annual reports, and school report cards that can be used to promote student achievement and informed educational decisions.
Ada said the accountability policy is a most critical matter that requires board action. He is hesitant to publish reports until the BOE approves the accountability policy.
Ada said they’ve been behind for more than a month now, so he hopes that the BOE’s elected members finally come together and organize.
“I am confident that they will have a quorum soon,” he added.
Meantime, PSS operations are still in place, he said. “We are still moving forward. Most of the documents that are time-sensitive, we stamp dates on them so when the board finally comes together and ratifies them we can go back to those stamped dates.”
Ada said the three board members who met on Friday want to convene again on March 16, 2023.
The BOE failed to organize because of the absence of two of its five elected members.
Under the law, four voting members constitute a BOE quorum.
The two BOE members who were absent again were Herman M. Atalig of Rota and Andrew L. Orsini of Saipan.
Present were Gregory Pat Borja of Saipan, Antonio L. Borja of Tinian and Maisie B. Tenorio of Saipan.
The BOE held an organization meeting on Feb. 1, 2023, but was unable to elect new officers because Atalig and Orsini walked out.
Orsini wanted the board to go into executive or closed-door session prior to electing new officers so they could “discuss critical matters important for the Public School System.”
But Gregory P. Borja insisted on an open forum “so that the community knows what we are doing.”
He, Antonio L. Borja and Tenorio voted against Orsini’s motion. Orsini and Atalig voted in favor of the motion and walked out of the meeting after the vote.
