by Krystal Paco

Guam - The Department of Education is in the planning stages of establishing a charter school. According to interim superintendent Taling Taitano, the Guahan Academy Charter School has been approved and hopes to open its doors next school year. Taitano notes that DOE superintendent-select Jon Fernandez is coming out of Washington, DC where charter schools are popular.

"Charter schools are kind of an alternative to public schools," she explained, "it's considered a public school but because it's not tied to for instance the union contract, they might be able to do things a little differently. They could pay their teachers a little differently they could have longer school days. It is a public school but acts like a private school."

Taitano met with Guahan Academy Charter School's Donna Dwiggins, Guam Education Board chairman Francis Santos, and Speaker Judi Won Pat this afternoon to discuss how to proceed with the school's opening. The school's location has yet to be released.