But Nothing To Take For Granted

By John Dela Rosa

GUAM - The Guam Department of Education received a Thanksgiving gift from the US Department of Education when Superintendent Nerissa Underwood opened a letter from Phil Maestri granting the Guam DOE some relief to keep federal programs alive. The Guam DOE has been struggling to find funds to keep programs like Direct Instruction and Success For All running because the USDOE has frozen all use of School Year 2009-2010 federal funds until a third party manager is identified.

Yet, this stop-gap measure by USDOE to keep federal programs running will only bring short-term relief to the crisis-plagued Guam DOE. Still at issue are its ability to properly manage and report on its use of federal funds, its commitment to follow recommendations and mandates set forth by USDOE, the Guam OPA and the Evergreen audit, and the willingness of the school system to focus its resources in the classrooms and on continuing education for its teachers.

The change in USDOE's position regarding federal funds shows their commitment to ensuring Guam's school children are placed as the highest priority. It only follows that they would expect the same from Guam DOE.

Yesterday, Maestri amended his initial decision by allowing Guam DOE to use carryover federal funds from SY2008-2009 as well as federal stimulus funds to keep those programs alive. Using these will give Guam DOE time to identify and contract a third party manager who will administer more than $36 million in federal funds that pay for critical learning programs and their teachers.

Maestri also appointed Lester Kuykendall, the Guam DOE internal auditor, as interim third party manager. Kuykendall will be responsible for reviewing and approving any expenditure of federal funds and clearing the use of those funds with USDOE. His appointment was well received by Dr. Underwood, who in an interview with the Pacific Daily News said Kuykendall has extensive knowledge of the federal grant programs as well as the Guam DOE financial system.

While this is progress, it is progress brought about by the federal Department of Education, not Guam's school system.

What remains to be seen is the level of commitment and responsibility that Dr. Underwood and her team will demonstrate now that they have a little breathing room.

Read the Pacific Daily News story, "Federal programs get reprieve", November 27, 2009.

Read the Marianas Variety Guam Edition story, "USDOE sets strict rules for fund release", November 27, 2009

Read the Pacific News Center story, "Guam DOE Federal Funding Crisis Averted After U.S. DOE Changes Tune", November 27, 2009.

Read the KUAM story, "USDOE hands down amended conditions", November 26, 2009.

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