Educational reform in Chuuk has been suffering from a leadership problem. Simply put: we have had too many directors and too few leaders. Directors have failed and we easily blame them. Now we need leaders who will empower us all to participate in educational reform efforts so that if it fails then we all blame ourselves.
We are afraid to give the humble leaders a chance to unite us through collaboration and too quick to appoint directors to direct efforts while we follow behind.
We put too much importance on the director while lessening our own duties and responsibilities as equal partners in educational leadership.
Chuuk State Office of the Governor, US Office of Insular Affairs, Chuuk State Legislatures, Board of Education need to exercise leadership in educational reform for once. They all need to stop blaming the other and start owning their roles in the lack of educational progress in Chuuk. All of them are part of the problem as long as they blame the other.
The children of Chuuk deserve humble leaders to work together, not proud directors who want things done their way. They deserve political leaders to be leaders more than politicians. Now, Chuuk has too many politicians who are blinded by their own self-importance at the expense of their duties as public servants.
The Director of Education should be the least important person in the Chuuk State School System; the parents, teachers, principals, chiefs, church leaders, and our communities should be the most important leaders in the educational reform efforts for the sake of the students.
By putting the importance on the Director, Chuukese by nature of our culture of respect, will always defer and wait for that person to guide us while we comfortably follow. And as we have learned so many times…directors have failed in their leadership. When things fail, we blame the director and not ourselves.
We need the next Director of Education to be a leader who is humble yet strong, smart and not arrogant, firm and yet collaborative, competent yet considerate. We need that leader to be compassionate, hospitable, kind, and a very strong communicator but an even stronger listener.
My vote: Paul Hadik!
[Pause: OMG, do you mean that guy in the video talking sensical stuff to Northwest educators at the Northwest Educators Summer Training?! Seriously? that American fella? What? an American over a Chuukese? Are you out of your mind? A haole to lead us in a…wait, haole school system? Wait, what?! You mean the guy who was Director of Education for the State of Kosrae? The guy who feels a deep calling to come to Chuuk to help? The guy who doesn’t drink alcohol… loves coka cola, who was a former teacher and principal in Hilo? The guy who is doing amazing things at…what?! Chuuk High School like, um, beating Xavier High School two years in a row in debates….That guy?]
Yes, that Paul Hadik!
The Board of Education, Governor, Senate, OIA, JEMCO should suspend another round of political wrestling over the appointment of the next director of education now that the Board of Education terminated Gardenia Aisek Macayaon. They should give Mr. Hadik at least five (5) years to turn Chuuk DOE around as he did as Director of Education for the State of Kosrae.
But they / we need to give him all the freedom, resources, time, trust, and support to exercise his full leadership potential. I am confident that in time he will rally all of us to refocus on what is most important: the students and their success in life. And together we will transform our public schools into truly Chuukese schools that we can all be proud of.
Dr. Vid Raatior
Dr. Vid Raatior is a proud Chuukese parent, educator, citizen blogger, and social entrepreneur living in the US.
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I second!! Paul has done great things to Chuuk DOE, especially to Chuuk High School. A lot of great things been working out at CHS. All faculty and staff at CHS are working hard, as well as the students. I vote for Mr. Paul Hadik to turn the ship to the right direction.
I do not know much about Mr. Paul,untile recently from a DOE source, and from your post.
And if all accounts is accurate and legit, then I will rally and support this gentleman..
Looks like chuukese/local chuukese cannot manage or lead our own state..too much of corruptions..
Americans managed our island during the TTPI and everything was set up and placed in order,,hospital,roads,sewagesystem,schools, power-plant,airfield and etc..
And when came our own big brothers,everything is all screwed up..corruption is or almost compared to other Middle East countries. Locals make their own bombs to slaughter our water and fish,our government (past & present) do totally nothing..
Our education system is the worst in all Micronesia despite hosting Xavier High,the best school in the islands.
Workshops and Training must be for classroom-teachers. To enhance their knowledge and skills in helping our kids. Classroom teachers make the difference in our kids learning process.
DOE staffs like to travel and join workshops for their own benefit and luxury.!
I think it would be ok if we replace all government department heads with Americans. The only way to help our people..
My own opinion..
Fan-Cool! Thank you for what you said. I ask myself that and have asked other teachers as well. Why is the DOE staffs go to the workshops and training? Why not the teachers? I totally agree with you on this. I think that Teachers should/must be the ones to go to the training and workshops not the DOE staffs.
Thank you.
Daisy, a big Thank You for sineifichi ach ei osupwang chon Chuuk..it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out..DOE staffs LOVE to go to workshops/training especially if require traveling.out of state…
Classroom teachers make the difference in the kids learning..
PREL workshop 2004-there were more DOE staffs but less classroom teachers..
I learned a lot and I did my best to execute them..DOE staffs on the other hand, slept with what they acquired..
This less effective practice must be stopped, or else our school system remains a chaos.!
Kinisou Chapur.!