by Krystal Paco

Guam - The clock is ticking for more than 40 teachers who have yet to pass the Praxis-I certification test and may lose their jobs come December 1. According to Guam Commission for Educator Certification executive director Lea Santos, 16 teachers signed in for last night's commission meeting pleading various cases.

Santos says some requested that the council accept their combined test scores in order to meet the minimum passing grade while others suggested the council be responsible for paying the testing fee.

DOE superintendent Jon Fernandez is looking into the situation, telling KUAM News, "I'm looking forward to sitting down and hearing how the meeting went last night, but obviously I as I said before, the solution doesn't lie with the Department of Education. We don't set the requirements, we don't have the authority. Our job is to be compliant with the law and the law requires us to ensure that we have fully certified teachers in every classroom."

Fernandez says he will sit down with the Guam Legislature and the Commission to address the issue, which is also slated to be discussed at next week's Guam Education Board meeting set for November 21.