Guam and education

How are the schools (DODEA and public) on Guam? We will relocate in Sept. and I would like to have more guidance on where to live, a big deciding factor will be where our children go to school. I have been an educator for 6 years, the last two years as a high school counselor. I also will look for a job in education. Any input is appreciated.

About your comment, "How to make Guam schools better?" Where does the problem lie? As in every school district, there are problems and room for improvement. Being in a high military population, we all have different experiences, good and bad, from all over the world. Parent involvement and communication (like this) along with unity with the schools can make a big difference.

I have personally seen many students come to the school I worked at from other states/countries. There are times they excelled the state requirements and other times they fall behind. I had two students that had transferred from Guam and they both were well above the standards for Texas, they both had attended DODEA in Guam and were not related. I mention that they were not related because a huge factor in how well a student does is the family support and involvement at home.

Stacie Morgan

Guam has 2 school systems, plus private schools. I don't really know anything about the private schools.

The public schools face major funding problems...problems that make even inner city Texas schools look affluent. This causes all kinds of problems...infrastructure failures, lack of specialized programs, buildings that aren't air conditioned, etc. The teachers, as in most areas, are quite dedicated.

The DODEA schools are very good. I base that on limited experience with them but they are well-funded, have outstanding teachers, and the buildings are finally coming up to standards.

Still, as you say, parental involvement is the determining factor. Traditionally, DODEA/DODDS schools have more than average parental involvement. It could be improved but I was happy with the education my daughter got at DODDS schools (in Japan).

Being here for almost 5 months, i know for a fact that Private schools are better, just for the reason of more better options.If you have the money,why not go for private? i guess for me i believe in private school system,especially if you chose something that you believe in,but always remember ,sometimes it doesn't matter where a child is in for as long as they are well guided not only at school but also at home. My daughter is in DODEA, I like it a lot because they got nice facilities, good and secured environment, it's a matter of how you involve yourself . You will see how your child improves day by day. I also heard about the difference in standards, i guess when you have youngsters it's not too much of a bigdeal because they can easily catch up, but when you have teenagers, that's where you need to take actions to make them more competitive later on. Different states got different standards, sometimes it depends on the school and the community, it will affect where you live and find the best school in town...it's just too bad that even if they are all public schools they differ in standards. It means that the only thing we can do is be more aware on what we want for the future of our kids. Education is the best gift that we can give.