It’s the final oversight hearing between the Guam Department of Education and the 37th Guam Legislature.

Senator Chris Barnett, Oversight Chair on Education, called for a status report on key issues before handing the reins of the committee over to  the 38th Legislature.

One critical topic on the agenda, the shortage of teachers and special education aides in Guam's public schools.

“We have a need for 378 students requiring adult support. Currently, we have 285–so that leaves us with a total of 93,” said Tom Babauta, who oversees Special Education. 

He said recently, GDOE was able to select 21 positions, however, only 10 were processed. 

“We’re constantly battling attrition and people coming and going,” said Babauta. 

One possible solution already floated around is a paraeducator boot camp through a partnership with the Guam Community College. Sen. Barnett followed up on its status.

“We had a little bit of a hiccup regarding the boot camp when we were working through that. Currently, we are processing it through with the superintendent, and we’re crunching the numbers because we essentially have to pay for a portion of this and ensure that the individuals have a position to come into,” added Babauta. 

And while the pieces are in place, Babauta said figuring out how to put them together remains a challenge but Senator Barnett points to a possible way to solve that puzzle.   

“I spoke with Dr. Okada this morning, and the Guam Department of Labor is considering funding the paraeducator training. The only thing pending, as you mentioned, is the Superintendent’s sign-off,” said Barnett. 

Barnett added this could be a big step forward in tackling the shortage.

Meanwhile, Babauta shared another promising development: A partnership with the University of Guam’s School of Education. By this time next year, he said, a cohort of ten teachers will be special education certified, adding much-needed support to the system.