Education officials going before senators, responding to serious findings from an independent audit of the Guam Education Board. While the members says the report contains errors of fact, some lawmakers are questioning whether board members tried to block its release to avoid scrutiny.

During an oversight hearing Wednesday, lawmakers turned their attention to transparency,  accountability, and public trust - with the Guam Education Board taking center stage. Senators highlighting findings from a recent independent management and curriculum audit, which levelled sharp criticism at the GEB. Former oversight chair on education, Senator Chris Barnett, pointing to several concerning conclusions in the report—including the board being described as “a self-policing entity resulting in zero consequences for members who are the subject of valid ethics complaints.”

He also said, “Low trust and fractured relationships between the GEB and GDOE leadership and staff.”

Newly-elected GEB chair Dr. Judi Guthertz pushing back on some of the audit’s observations, seemingly expressing skepticism. Guthertz maintaining she has not personally witnessed the types of infractions described. “The problem with some of those observations that you’ve quoted from the audit–they’re not documented. It’s easy to say those things. They don’t identify who says it, they don’t identify how it was said, they just quote people–it’s like on Facebook when people don’t use their name to attack people," she said.

Barnett interjected, saying, "Madame Chair, this isn’t like Facebook though, this is an audit, a management audit that was conducted by the department." Guthertz, "Well, it’s a management audit without documentation.”

Barnett holding his position, stating that the audit itself serves as documentation, while the GEB chair countered that “just because they say that in the audit doesn’t make it true.”

Barnett responded that he, along with other senators, has heard directly from GDOE employees and staff who say the issues outlined in the audit have occurred. He added he does not believe they would appreciate what he characterized as a dismissal of valid findings, and stressed the need for the board to act on them.

In the meantime, GEB member Peter Alexcis Ada said he was “disgusted” after reading the audit, prompting oversight chair on education, Senator Vince Borja, to attempt to find common ground. The senator said, “Yes, there are some things in there that need to be corrected, but would you say that there are a lot of valid concerns in the audit? I guess that’s the big question that we need to understand. We could talk technicalities and biased opinions, but for the listening community and the community at GDOE, would it be safe to say, there are a lot of valid concerns in the audit?"

Ada said,  “There are some, but a lot of it wasn’t."

In the meantime, Guthertz doubling-down that the GEB is focused on identifying what can be addressed and what may be helpful—also noting the board was given no opportunity to respond to the audit prior to its FOIA release.