Families, mayors, teachers, and assistants are on high alert as the Trump administration threatens to cut funding for the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which serve the poorest families in the United States, including its territories.
The federal investigation began five years ago and covers a period during which the senator was in the upper echelons of the Department of Education, worked as a contractor for the State Elections Commission, and served as the electoral commissioner for former Governor Pedro Pierluisi, according to sources.
While the Governor downplayed the resignation of nearly a dozen experts he had convened to decentralize and depoliticize the agency, the federal government asked him to put the community’s needs at the forefront of the initiative and ensure the right voices are seated at the table.
Limited resources, overworked teachers, and abandoned recreational areas are part of the challenges faced by an academic program that for years has been a source of talent and international medals for Puerto Rico.
More than 40 years ago, Alejandro Benítez began training athletes as a routine after teaching in a classroom from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. At 74 years old, and already retired from teaching, he is still a hammer and discus throw coach.
Even with the little that is known about the performance and educational quality of these schools, one of these institutions is proposing an aggressive expansion plan for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Department of Education has been unable to recruit school psychologists in 10% of schools. The Humacao school district has 16 unfilled positions. Meanwhile, the psychologists already hired expose poor working conditions.
Educators have also not received the promised incentive for teaching classes on the island municipality.
