Many school communities have been reaching out to GFT regarding the Guam Education Board’s (GEB) recent discussions on extending the school year. The Guam Daily Post ran an article entitled GFT to seek time and a half if school year gets extended that grabbed the attention of school communities. To add to the discussion, GFT is seeking to make any extension a part of summer school. Summer school can be more accessible for students who want to attend summer school. Extending the school year for the entire school community is not warranted nor feasible. Reducing summer break will affect summer programs outside of GDOE, ruin everyone’s summer plans, and reduce income opportunities of high school students. The GEB will be discussing the extension of the school year along with many other issues this weekend during their retreat on the weekend of December 11, 2021.
Let the GEB members know your thoughts:
Mark B. Mendiola, Chairman gdoeparents@gdoe.net
Mary A.Y. Okada, Vice-Chair mary.okada@guamcc.edu
Peter Alecxis D. Ada paa@gdoe.net
Felicitas B. Angel fbangel@gdoe.net
Lourdes M. Benavente lmbenavente@gdoe.net
Karlyn R.C.G. Borja kborja04@gmail.com
Robert A. Crisostomo principal@sacsguam.com
Maria A. Gutierrez maguetierrez@gdoe.net
Dr. Ron L. McNinch govguam@gmail.com
Timothy Fedenko, GFT Representative, non-voting tfedenko@gftunion.com
Mayor Melissa B. Savares, MCOG Representative, non-voting melissa.savares@gmail.com
Sophie Nochefranca, IBOGS SY21-22 Representative, non-voting sonoc652@students.gdoe.net
Jon J.P. Fernandez, Superintendent and Board Executive Secretary, non-voting jonfernandez@gdoe.net
The GEB is running after something they can’t catch.
Lost instruction time was due to a global pandemic. Cohorts were put in place for the safety of all involved with education. As an educator I was working 5 days a week.
Seek an exemption to the law of required instruction hours like was done for school year 2020-2021, finish school year 2021-2022 with as much instruction time as safety protocols allow, and move on.