Hungry students struggle
Written by Oyaol Ngirairikl for the Pacific Daily News
When about 90 percent of a student population is on the federal free or reduced lunch program, there are some realities that principals and teachers face.
For parents of those students, what takes priority: Teaching kids the multiplication tables, or getting food on their plate?
"The plate will win over the multiplication tables any day," Machananao Elementary School Nurse Kimberly Edusma told Gov. Eddie Calvo and his team of directors. "And that's why we have struggled so long with the academic problems -- it's not because we don't have skilled teachers, it's not because we don't have a good principal."
Calvo was at the Yigo school yesterday as part of his plan to meet with residents throughout the island. Calvo has said his goal is to help determine the problems Guam's families and school communities are facing and what other agencies can do to support schools.
The governor said the government of Guam's financial situation makes it tough to pour what may even be badly needed money into public schools and various agencies.
"But what we can do is come up with creative solutions ... and have different agencies partner with the schools to provide support that our teachers, nurses and counselors need," Calvo said.
Calvo also noted that one of the realities the school community faces is the crime levels that can impact safety of students and their families.
"So maybe we can have Guam Police Department work closely with the schools to see what the safety concerns are here," he said. He also noted that students shouldn't have to walk "a mile or two miles to school -- that's an issue. Another issue is the bus stops. We need to make sure the kids have bus stops ... which I know is a challenge."
Department of Public Works officials have noted that at least one half-mile road to housing areas like Gill-Baza are supposed to be completed this summer. Additionally, Public Works officials are working to find areas in various housing communities to build bus stops. Public Works has had to break down concrete bus shelters because they were placed on private property.
School Principal Robert Malay, who noted that approximately 90 percent of the school's student population is on the federal lunch program, said there are several layers of issues associated with families living in low-income and even impoverished situations.
"Another layer is how well prepared are the parents to assist with times tables?" Malay said. "We have parents that are very educated who have children here but there are other parents who had to make tough decisions early in life."
Malay said another issue is the reality of different cultures at the schools. A large number of students come from families hailing from throughout Micronesia.
He said for some of those cultures, "education is something that is done at school." At home, children are "supposed to help out" by watching siblings or doing chores.
"Whether we agree with it, it's the reality -- it's not right or wrong it just is," he said. He added that it's a reality that even educators "have to respect." It also means finding creative ways to educate students.
"We might have a prescribed scenario where the home and the school have a partnership -- and that may not be the reality for some families," he said. "The challenge is that employers have a whole lot of skill sets so we try to bridge that understanding and ... we teach students how to be prompt, how to work hard."
He said what the school does is encourage students to embrace education.
"We ask them every day: What do you plan to do? And they say I'm going to college," Malay said. "We're not trying to change their mindsets, but perhaps broaden their perspective of life and what's out there. We don't want anyone to forget who they are or where they came from, but we want them to know that there's more to their life than their current situation -- whatever it is."