Pilar Cruz Lujan (1930 – 2022) was a CHamoru language advocate and leader, groundbreaking educator, and a six-term senator in the Guam Legislature.
Culture clashes. In the years following the end of WWII in Guam, the naval administration, followed by a civilian administration in 1950, took on the great endeavor of building the government departments and agencies that served the island. Among the numerous challenges that this effort required was restructuring the island’s education system. One of the paramount issues in this was staffing schools with accredited teachers.
Contract Teachers in the Classroom Read Post »
Need for teachers in Guam grew after WWII. In the years following the end of World War II, Guam became a new military stronghold in the Pacific, leading to a massive increase of US military troops and their dependents on the island. The increase in military dependents, coupled with a rise in local birth rates, caused an increase in student population. As a result, the Naval administration began its reconstruction of the local education system with the ability to accommodate the large school population.
Stateside Teacher Hiring Program Read Post »
The Chamorro Bilingual/Bicultural Program began on Guam in 1970 as a five-year test program run by the Guam Department of Education to promote the use of the CHamoru language in public schools on Guam. It served as the precursor to the CHamoru Studies Department, which continues to operate in the Guam Department of Education. This program marked the first time the CHamoru language was officially used in classrooms in the Mariana Islands.
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Paul Carano (1919-2020) was a teacher, researcher and one of the founders of the University of Guam’s Micronesian Area Research Center. Carano was the son of John “J.P.” and Mary (Ross) Carano, pioneer residents of Krebs, Tobucksy County, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. At an early age, he moved to Hanford, California. He was a graduate of Stanford University and pursued other studies at California’s College of the Sequoias at Visalia California State University at Fresno and the University of New Hampshire at Durham.
Educator, historian and public servant. Dr. Pedro Cruz Sanchez (29 June 1925 – 15 August 1987), known as “Doc,” was a prolific educator, historian and public servant who served as the president of the University of Guam, and published several landmark books that document Guam’s history.
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Simon Sanchez (1895 – 1975) was a pioneer in education and a key player in the establishment and formalization of Guam’s public school system during the turbulent pre-war and post-war eras. In addition to his roles as a public school educator and administrator, Sanchez served as a member and secretary of the First and Second Guam Congress. As a Congressman, Sanchez was responsible for introducing a resolution that formally recognized the Territorial Flag of Guam, which is currently in use today.
Educator and advocate. Rosa Teresita Perez Salas (1926-1998) was an educator and vocal advocate for the physically and intellectually disabled, as well as the elderly. Salas earned her reputation as an accomplished leader and for improving Guam’s educational system, particularly as it affected children with disabilities.
Rosa Roberto Carter (1929-2010) was a highly accomplished educator whose professional career spanned from kindergarten teacher to University president. She is the only woman to serve as University of Guam president.
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Cynthia Johnston Torres (1911-2001) of Nimitz Hill was born July 1911 in Hagåtña, Guam. She was the daughter of two of the island’s most prominent educators, William and Agueda Iglesias Johnston, both of whom are significant figures in Guam’s history.
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