Hi ,

It is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time when teachers normally receive gift certificates to coffee shops, Jamaican Grill, and hand-drawn artwork from their students (Disclaimer: thanks to the Guam Legislature and their Bill 94-36 on Ethics Training, stick to the artwork). Over the last year, teachers and school staff have gone above and beyond what we ever thought would be asked of us. Whether distance learning, hybrid instruction, keeping students safe in person, meeting their social and emotional needs our teachers rose to the challenge.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, let us continue to reflect on the teaching profession. We need to reflect on how important teachers are to our community, how we support them year-round, and how we fund them. Unfortunately, low wages, high-stress environments, and public opinion were factors in a RAND study that stated that about one-quarter of all teachers intend to leave the profession by the end of the year (compared to the usual 8%).  What can be done to curb teacher loss? More Jamaican Grill gift certificates! Kidding aside, Lisa Lachlan-Haché, Ed.D., Etai Mizrav, and Lois Kimmel (2021) discuss ideas for attracting, preparing, and retaining teachers.