by Krystal Paco

Guam - With 40 public schools, over 30,000 students and 4,000 teachers and staff, Department of Education superintendent Jon Fernandez has his hands full.

It's going to take a bullseye approach to get a handle on GovGuam's largest agency, as Fernandez said, "This is our mission. This point in the middle is a student. Around that student we understand that the closest experience there is in the classroom is the teacher. Outside of that we have school administration, the school principals, the assistant principals, staff. Outside of that we have the district level, the superintendent, the deputies, and the divisions. And outside of that, the broader community."

"I need you to succeed for me to succeed, and I need to succeed because I want the kids to succeed."

Despite a lack of resources from textbooks to overcrowded schools, Fernandez says more money cannot guarantee student success. "We'll fix a new school, but that won't tell me that the kids are learning. We'll fix the procurement process, but that won't tell me that the kids are learning. We will move the Central Office, we'll hire more staff, we will put more school aides out there we'll do all those things, but I'm asking the question how would we know our students are learning?"

Rotarian Elmore Cotton hopes Fernandez will put more funding into the classroom, saying, "80% of the money that comes into the Department of Education goes to administration and only 20% goes to the classroom. That may be changing, and I'm hoping that you're a part of that change since I think what you should be striving for is at least 40% going to classrooms."

Fernandez confirms majority of their budget is used for payroll but advocates for more money for classroom use including the $2.8 million he garnered in Department of the Interior funding earlier this school year. Each teacher was allotted $500 to purchase classroom supplies.