HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Amid increasing scrutiny over leadership at the Guam Department of Education and the poor state of local schools, lawmakers are proposing to hand total control of GDOE’s finances over to the Guam Education Board.
Though the board did not have time to form an official opinion on the proposal as of a public hearing held Wednesday, several members showed up to testify for and against the proposal on their own behalf.
Sen. Joe San Agustin said his Bill 117-37 would hand the school board “true oversight of the function and operation of the school system,” and put an end to a lack of accountability at the board.
Presently, the GEB has control over all policies of the local school system and can adopt a budget, but is mandated by law not to engage in “micromanagement” of school operations and hands responsibility for specific spending decisions to the superintendent of GDOE – who the board selects – and the superintendent’s team.
San Agustin’s bill would change that mandate, and give back supervisory responsibility to the board’s six elected members and three members appointed by the governor, as well as additional nonvoting members. It would remove the micromanagement prohibition, and hand control of all funds for GDOE to the board.
Elected board member Peter Alecxis Ada called the measure “extremely dangerous.”
“If this legislation becomes law, it is possible that someone may use their influence to have someone hired or promoted or removed from their current position who, which, to me, is a lightning red flag,” Ada said.
Presently, any issues at GDOE are addressed according to established protocol, with the superintendent handling any matters before they come to the board. If the Education Board’s responsibilities increase, “there will be no need for a superintendent,” Ada said.
He said members of management at GDOE, ranging from principals to the superintendent, would have their work frustrated as a result of intimidation and interference, only creating more problems for the school system. Beyond that, making the Education Board responsible for the details of school operation would make it hard to find anyone willing to run for the post.
Presently, Guam law provides for board members to be compensated $250 per meeting they attend, with a cap of $500 a month.
Elected Education Board Vice Chair Maria Gutierrez said the board would be meeting soon to develop an opinion on San Agustin’s proposal. But as for herself, she said she supported it.
“I think people are mistaken that the board is going to be telling the superintendent who to hire and who not to hire. That’s not the intention of this,” said Gutierrez, who shared her frustrations with trying to address issues that were constantly arising in GDOE.
When trying to intervene on concerns raised by parents, she was often thwarted by GDOE administration saying that a problem was “operational,” she said.
“I’m not going to sit at the meeting and just earn the money and not do anything because it’s micromanaging, it’s operational. I’m tired of the operational because this is what happened. I have bring issues up and nothing, nothing,” Gutierrez said.
She denied opposing the recent lawsuits launched by parents of children with special needs against the board and GDOE over the poor conditions in schools. The Education Board had failed to hold the previous GDOE superintendent, Jon Fernandez, accountable, she said.
“I am not going to wait to the one-year evaluation to evaluate (the superintendent). I know the superintendent is the only employee we have. I know that, but we’re going to hold everybody accountable,” Gutierrez said.
Meanwhile, elected board member Ron McNinch was more neutral on the issue, pointing to a need for further discussion on San Agustin’s proposal.
“I think that’s a good and healthy discussion that should happen with the board – what are the powers of the board and what the powers should be – how the old model worked versus the new model,” McNinch said.
Discussion between the Education Board and lawmakers was positive, he added, “I hope that the Legislature can work together with us as much as possible. We all have a mutual interest in best serving our schoolchildren.”
San Agustin, speaking after testimony, said the measure was “very simple” and was meant to bring accountability back to the board, not to interfere with school operations.
Sen. Telo Taitague, on the other hand, said she was worried about the door for corruption opening up, should the Education Board be handed more power. She said she had heard stories of past boards trying to influence the superintendent of GDOE to get family members promoted.
Guam Education Board Vice Chair Maria Gutierrez testifies Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in the Public Hearing Room of the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña in favor of Bill 98-37.
