This was according to Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan who participated in the Tinian Parent Teacher and Student Summit yesterday.
He also praised parents for their involvement in their children’s education.
“PSS has been doing an excellent job and this is because you have been part of it,” Sablan told the parents. “That is why I need you to get involved more in your children’s education.”
Tinian Board of Education member Lucia Blanco-Maratita agrees: “We could have the best buildings and excellent staff in our schools but if we have parental support and involvement, if we have the connection and partnership between home and school, we will have a better chance at helping our students reach their full human capital.”
Parents, according to Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, have been an inspiration not only to their children but to the community for their “hard work and commitment.”
She said the PTSA is not only a “vehicle” to better student learning but to challenge themselves to “get more involved” in the education of their children.
PTSA officials from Tinian Elementary School and Tinian Junior High School acknowledged that there is more work to be done.
They said what they have done so far as a “new group” was to open the door” to allow for other parents to join.
“We have everything in place in terms of being an organization and all we need is to be committed to be there for our children and for our school,” said Augusta Famaw, PTSA Tinian representative.
Coinciding with the PTSA summit here was a training for parents regarding their key responsibilities as a “recognized and empowered” group by the school system.
“Parent Involvement and Title I” was presented by PSS federal programs officer Tim Thornburgh, while “Non-Profit Organization Regulations and Financial Reporting Requirements” were explained both by PSS finance director Richard Waldo and legal counsel Kelley Butcher.
Associate Commissioner for Instructional Service Jackie Quitugua, for her part, talked about the school system’s “Common Core, Academic Achievement and College and Career.”
“We need your help in continuously raising the bar of learning,” she told the parents. “Us as parents can do more and this summit will help all of us understand how important our roles are.”
Another parent, Laila DLR. Manibusan, the new Head Start program representative alternate, said the PTSA is an “eye opener.”
“We as parents are busy but we always have to find time to get involved. This organization is just the right forum for us,” she added.
