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Bill allows community to create schools independent from GPSS
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by Ronna Sweeney, KUAM News
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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With all the problems surrounding the island's public education system, chairperson of the Committee on Education Speaker Judi Won Pat (D) has introduced the Guam Charter Schools Act of 2008. Charter schools are those public funded elementary and secondary programs that aren't constrained by some of the rules, regulations and statutes that apply to other public schools. (This in exchange for some type of accountability for producing results, which are set forth in the school's charter.)
Reportedly there are more than 4,100 charter schools serving over 1.2 million children across 40 states and the District of Columbia. According to Won Pat's bill, co-sponsored by senators Jim Espaldon, Tina Rose Muna-Barnes and Judi Guthertz, it provides opportunities for teachers, parents, students and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the Guam Public School System. In order to convert a public school into a charter school several requirements must be met, which includes a petition that is signed by 60% of the total number of parents of minor students and adult students attending that school.
The petition must also be endorsed by 60% of full-time teachers assigned to the school. The legislation also would establish a charter school board of trustees that would be required to set overall policy for the school.
According to the Center for Education Reform, charter schools are new, innovative public schools that are accountable for student results. They are designed to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and the needs of the communities they serve. The introduction of Bill 247 comes amid several problems, recently highlighted by the closure of Southern High School for unsafe and unsanitary conditions. They are problems at the school that have been allowed to languish for years, and problems that are not only exclusive to Southern, but other schools such as the ones listed on the listing of the Top 10 Worst Schools on Guam released by the Guam Public School System last week.
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