Public school mother and retired teacher, principal appointed to board of education
The Governor appointed two new members to the board of education to fill two of three vacancies.
Public school mother and Dededo resident Charlene Concepcion will fill the seat allocated for a parent representative. The Governor has asked her to support the following agenda and act in the following way:
– To ensure focus on student achievement in every decision made
– To have an open door and open ear to the concerns of parents without ever micromanaging the department
– To act as a liaison between public school parents and the board
– To express the concerns and initiate or support policies that truly integrate students living with disabilities, and to provide the accommodations necessary to build a healthy relationship between parents of students with disabilities and the school communities
– To initiate or support policies and practices that make parent involvement more realistic and accessible to parents
Long-time teacher, principal, and associate superintendent of education Ken Chargualaf will fill the seat allocated to retired educators. He’s a resident of Yona. Chargualaf recently retired from the Department of Education. He last served as the principal of John F. Kennedy High School. The Governor has asked him to support the following agenda and act in the following way:
– To ensure focus on student achievement in every decision made
– To have an open door and open ear to the concerns of educators and school leaders without ever micromanaging the department
– To act as a liaison between educators and the board
– To initiate or support policies and practices that will ensure the successful full implementation of the Common Core standards, adherence to the standards, and flexibility and autonomy for teachers to do what they must to achieve to the standards. This will include support for autonomy within school communities on how best to teach and what should be done within school and classroom settings
– To promote accountability and excellence to the standards, pride in the teaching profession, and the resources teachers need to help their students achieve learning to the standards
– To help repair the board’s relationship with the Guam Federation of Teachers, and to do what is possible to get back to the negotiating table to get a reasonable contract to teachers that protects them from bad working conditions
Both board members have been instructed to work collaboratively with the elected members of the board, and to support the Superintendent in his reform agenda, which the Governor supports.
