If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got
 

by Tony Blaz - 
KUAM's Political Insider
December 3 , 2004

If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.

This very simple statement speaks to how our government leaders address the various problems and priorities placed before them. Of course the resulting effect of the solutions that our leaders typically engage in produce the same old results. After many years, we all become accustomed to these practices and end up believing what we have always been told. Recently two government agencies acting out of necessity decided to do something very different than what has typically been done over the past several years. 

Faced with a critical nursing shortage, Lillian Posadas, nursing supervisor of GMH, has embarked on the establishment of a program to recruit, train, and produce licensed practical nurses or LPNs to address this shortage. This program will involve an extensive onhands training program from GMH medical personnel similar to the programs many mainland hospitals are engaged in.

GPAs John Benavente has also established an apprenticeship program to fulfill its future needs in terms of skilled labor resources. Both Lillian Posadas and John Benavente are placing their bets on the success of these programs in the most precious resources we have, our people. These programs are proactive examples, which must be emulated!

We commend GPA and GMH for engaging in this effort and taking these initiatives. They refuse to be contained in the proverbial box that we oftentimes subject ourselves to, thinking that it can't be done, or that more money thrown at the problem is the only way to go.

Our government needs to follow GMH's initiatives and GPA's lead and engage in more creative and innovative approaches to our problems. For years we have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in education and higher education yet for all the money we spend, we are constantly beset with the same problems, not enough textbooks, a lack of certified teachers, our kids having to sit in the cafeteria because we don't have enough substitute teachers, etc., etc., etc. I'm sure my dear people of Guam, we all wonder quietly isn't there anything else we can do and what of the ultimate product that our children are getting? I say we shouldn't be so accepting of the excuses we get from our leaders, and demand that our leaders do things differently maybe establish various pilot programs which speak directly to all of our concerns, or create educational opportunities utilizing "off the shelf" initiatives and our current physical facilities and insuring our hard earned tax dollars are directed to the critical needs of our children, not to atrociously high salaries for administration, funding junkets, housing and car allowances for university management.

In the area of higher education, we must encourage competitive use of our dollars. Why not create charter schools specifically designed to address training and educational needs of public safety, homeland and transportation security.

By encouraging competition in education, we create better opportunities for our students and future generations.

Surely for all the hundreds of millions of dollars we spend on education, we can do things differently so our kids and our people will not get what we have always got, this time maybe, just maybe our kids will get something better, after all don't our children deserve the best!    

Tony Blaz hosts "Positively Local", a radio talkshow on Isla61-AM everyday from 6-10am