Governor Calvo gave Department of Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez’s progress report on education reform yesterday an A+. In fact, he boasts about the Department of Education’s achievements over the years.
Governor’s Spokeswoman Oyaol Ngirairikl says, “We’re really really excited because a lot of the reforms and initiatives that he spoke about are things that the Governor’s Office has prepared back in 2011-2012 as part of a public education reform.”
Three years ago, the Governor brought together teachers, administrators, and DOE management to author 89 recommendations for improvements and reform at DOE. That’s also about the time Jon Fernandez took on the role as DOE Superintendent. So far, according to a release from the Governor’s Office, 20 of those 89 recommendations are in progress. That includes the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, starting a pilot Pre-K program and a new principal and teacher evaluation.
Ngirairikl says, “He’s seeing these visions becoming a reality, you know these visions for a greater education system which is center for creating a better Guam so he’s really excited about the initiatives and the updates the the Superintendent was kind enough to provide.”
The Governor says since DOE has come a long way, parents and other stakeholders should continue to support the changes DOE is making. He says DOE is on the right path and after hearing Fernandez’s report, he feels more confident about public education. The Governor just asks for one thing from DOE and the Guam Education Board.
Ngirairikl says, “Making sure they reach out, there’s a great communication right now between DOE and the Guam Education Board and we want to make sure it continues because without that communication, we won’t know what the issues are and with that communication we can come up with solutions.”
