The controversial resignation of the secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Yanira Raíces Vega, adds another chapter to the stormy fate that, with few exceptions due to the management of its past leaders, has failed to mend the course of a key agency in the human and social development of the island.
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After resigning, the former secretary intends to return to her career position (executive director III), even though she lacks the requirements for it, according to an investigation by the Puerto Rico Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Yanira Raíces Vega has been with the Department of Education for 20 years, where she has held various management positions. However, it has been reported that, in one of her transfers in 2021, she only completed five of the 12 months required by law to assume the position of School Superintendent in the Bayamón region. Subsequently, she became Secretary of Education under the administration of Pedro Pierluisi. It has also been pointed out that, for her current postulation for leadership positions in the Bayamón and Arecibo regions, she does not have the established requirements, which could give her an advantage over nine other candidates.
Although this regulatory failure is far from other cases where rampant corruption left painful scars at the hands of characters like Víctor Fajardo or Julia Keleher, the DE is unable to get out of this bureaucratic morass that sinks the best intentions of those who intend to amend the course of an entity that should watch over the training and educational process of 236,000 students.
The statistics handled by the agency are impressive. With an annual budget of $5.312 billion, $1.263 billion goes to pay the payroll of 43,439 employees, distributed in various types of contracts. That is the sum.
But the task is overwhelming. In the recent public hearings of the government transition, Raíces Vega presented a chilling diagnosis. She stated that more than 200 schools have an enrollment of barely 100 students. There are schools with minimal occupancy, barely four or eight students per grade. This reality is invisible if we observe the general average of 30 students per class in the 870 schools of the educational system.
The sharp drop in the birth rate in Puerto Rico has hit Puerto Rico’s education sector hard. In the last 15 years, 50% of the enrollment has been lost.
A simple division, to continue with the mathematical exercise, between the 236,000 students and the 43,439 employees of the DE, shows that in Puerto Rico there are 5.4 civil servants for each student in our educational system.
The new administration headed by Governor Jenniffer González has an enormous challenge. First of all, logistics. It is not easy to determine the number of students per class, nor is it easy to make a hasty decision on the closing of campuses, since there are geographical issues to be addressed, even though it is true that there are campuses operating at 20% of their capacity. In addition, another very important variable must be considered. A large number of students receive meals at these facilities, therefore, it is necessary to facilitate the approach of families to the schools.
A sudden change in this strategy would be a worse remedy than the disease, as it could increase absenteeism. A single schoolchild left behind is an unavoidable moral issue.
The outlook is disturbing, but bright and hopeful situations emerge from the shadows. Initiatives such as “Todos a Leer” and the Literacy Academy, in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico, have significantly improved the performance of students from kindergarten to third grade in essential areas such as vowel recognition, syllables and reading fluency.
It is clear that good management has a positive impact on the school community. An effective administration, free of political patronage and excessive bureaucracy, that serves to protect the interests of the students, who are the future of Puerto Rico, is crucial for the system to thrive.
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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.
