GDOE refutes claims over "climate of fear" allegations in agency

If employees at the Guam Department of Education  see something, can they really say something? KUAM spoke to GDOE officials amid allegations that fear of retribution is silencing concerned staff.

If you want a glimpse into the conditions at GDOE's public schools, just take a look at committee oversight chair on education, Senator Chris Barnett’s social media.  The senator often re-sharing GDOE staff, parents, and sometimes even student-submitted photos or videos depicting an array of issues plaguing different campuses. 

It’s seemingly become a way to shine light on the poor state of some school grounds while remaining anonymous - Barnett telling KUAM teachers often ask that he not name them out of fear of retribution.  The senator reading this statement from a GDOE employee to a panel of Guam DOE officials earlier this month. 

He said, “We work with a constant state of fear and retaliation stemming from an extremely hostile work environment at GDOE. Administrators deputies admonish those who speak up about broken aircon, mold, etc. We need to be able to point out concerns without being pegged as insubordinate or not being a team player.”

He adds principals also fear retribution from deputy superintendents. 

But deputy superintendent of educational support and community learning Erika Cruz tells KUAM she refutes that. “I refute that comment that there is a climate of fear–whether it be at the school site or at the central office level because we do have an open door policy. We are one team, we are one DOE–and so, once one school is affected, it affects many parents, so it’s important for employees to be transparent and point out things and areas that need to be addressed. So, I refute that–that comment that there is a climate of fear; maybe there may be one or two, but of our 4,000 employees, I don’t believe that all of them feel that there’s retribution if they speak up," she said.

Cruz adding that at the end of the day, if employees don’t speak up about the issues at their job sites, then that results in no solution and, ultimately, school closures. But Senator Barnett contends some GDOE employees say if they complain, then their school needs go to the bottom of the list.  

Senator Barnett asked, “Is there a system in place for GDOE employees at the different schools can report these conditions directly to central office?”, with Cruz saying, “Absolutely. They are able to contact me, whether it be a hostile work environment with a school administrator or whether the area is unsafe that they are teaching at or the facility that they’re working at. There is a due process that every employee has–an administrator, myself, and school employees. So they file a grievance, step 1 grievance, step 2, and step 3 grievance.” 

Cruz doubling-down that she has an open door policy and will keep the identity of employees making any complaints made confidential–though she adds, it’s she adds, it is not an experience she’s had yet.