, 1962-02-07
WEDNESDAY

qualified Virgin lSlanQerS-yeS, every pOSIuOn pcIuQ1n m post
as Commissioner of Education This is the meat and the heart Of my
personnel policies. / hope that by the time l leave these Islands you
will, to paraphase a newspaper statement indeed be prepared to
tell the world that after s. many years of American tutelage it is no
longer necessary for the Virgin Islander to import its education head
The editorial spoke Of many indignHies, insults and humilatons
which these people meaning qualified Virgin Islaiders who are
presently holding top positions in the Department. are forced to so-
mach" I believe that Miss Tuitt, Mr.. Richards, Mr.. Roebuck, MIR
Howard, Mrs. Martin, Miss Joseph and ether supervisors, MI. Wheat
ley, Mr.. Fabio, and other top Virgin Islanders would disagree with
Mr.. Gottieb on this point and would testify to the ridiculous nature
of the statement. On the contrary, | believe that I have given these
people status in the Department Of Education, relied on their judg-
ment and recommendations and backed them Up on their decisions
I believe, too, that l have given them and the principals more free
dom to explore every avenue to improvewhat they are doing and
thereby help improve education in the Virgin Islands, This certainly
is not the way Of a dictator" or a "tyrant", as the NEWS CURRENT
had me pegged. -
am convinced that | am right ia The handling u the Gardhne
case. | know that Mr. Gottieb was deal wrong in his evaluahon of the
case, and his editorial To prove how wrong he can get let me point
to two classic points of error.
NLets look at the January 18th issue of the NEWS CURREN3
because the error there was most glazing and we can find the coz.
tradction in the same issue. In his editorial Oh page three, MI. Coz.
ieb made the ridiculous statement that The Department of Edaca
ton has made no request for funds to build additional cfassrooms
emphasis is mine) How wrong can he get! On the same January317th
issue of the same NEWSCURRENT, on page two, right opposite his
editorial, on the bottom of the first column, was listed projects for
educational facilities amounting to $4,000 for St Crox alone. He
listed five items: repairs and Improvements to existing schools.
$15OOoo; addition of two shop-rooms, Claude o Markoe School,
$4,000; construction of elementary scholb Grove Place, $224yO0O; ad-
diton Of five rooms to Claude Q. Markoe School $l4OOO0; additc
of six rooms to chrisdansted Elementary School, $4,000.
~ The editorial of January 18th said: " &. recently, DR.. Sanchez
employed a Guamanian lady as Director of Elementary Educa.
tary Education, was born and raised in New England and had lived
all of her life in the United States, except for three years on Guam
when she worked with me in the College of Guam under a limited
term contract. She is not a Guamanian. And if she is SO whatM!
l am sincere and earnest in my desire to do well for the Virgin
Islands public schoos-for the students and teachers alike. 1 am aware
that as a new administrator bent on making changes for the better
ment of the schools that my motives would be questioned by some.
my decisions challenged and criticized by others, my policies and
actions misunderstood or misinterpreted. In every move make. / trv
had to ease the pain of transition for those who most likely would
resist change l believe that I have made some changes and improve.
ments and have begun to take forward steps on the road to estab-
fishing a good educational system with the least amount of iritati ons
and descriptions. 1 could have elected to keep the status quo. not dis.
turb anyone and continue the system as it was, but to do so would
be to betray my own professional INTEGRITY & the trust placed upon me
as your Commissioner of Education, and worst of all, l woul be gull
ty of betraying the students and the people of these Islands by per
petuating a system which everyone recognizes as in need of some
improvement
After many years of what she called "injustices" Mrs. Juania
M. Caroline felt insecure under my new administration. The alleged
insults which she claimed and the NEWS CURRENT headlned
becouded the real reasons for her resignation. She was impatient
about her salary situation and l was firm on my position that
would not be pushed into taking Immediate actions without a thor
ough study of the office salary structure; she saw no possibilities