Guam Department of Education Superintendent Judith Won Pat declined a request from Sen. Chris Barnett, the former legislative chair of the Committee on Education, to resign.
In a candid letter to Won Pat on Oct. 8, Barnett expressed “deep disappointment in her leadership.” Barnett criticized decisions made by the superintendent, characterizing them as “bad decisions” involving double sessions and major school decisions.
Barnett alleged that Won Pat has not kept a promise to restore trust in the department through transparency and accountability.
“However, parents, students, families, and even GDOE employees are consistently left in the dark when it comes to receiving crucial and needed information about the decisions being made by management,” he said.
These decisions affect stakeholders.
“The Tiyan/Sanchez merger and the chaos that has followed your decision to house Simon Sanchez High School at Tiyan has disrupted the educational well-being of thousands of students. When this decision was announced at a public hearing — to the surprise of just about everyone — the criticisms of it were largely ignored,” Barnett said.
Barnett contended that a pattern of lack of communication has become “all too familiar” under Won Pat’s tenure.
“The double-session announcement and rollout shows the same pattern of lack of communication becoming all too familiar under your tenure. GDOE announced double session plans and schedules for GWHS, THS, OHS and SSHS before the Department of Public Works could coordinate or even confirm double session bus schedules,” Barnett said.
Though Barnett acknowledged that Won Pat “inherited” many of the issues, including aging facilities, staffing shortages, achievement and academic challenges, and years of deferred maintenance, he contended that if Won Pat were held to the same standards as her predecessor, Kenneth Erik Swanson, her “continued employment” may not be justified.
Barnett thanked Won Pat for her “distinguished” service as a politician and administrator but said he had “no choice” but to ask for her resignation, “effective immediately.”
“The island and the department would be well served by new leadership with a new vision to lead our public school system in a new direction,” he said.
