When he took office, Governor de Jongh made the reform and improvement of our Education System one of his top priorities. He made this commitment because he knew we could do better and even more importantly he knew we had to do better if we were going to provide every opportunity for our children to one day reach their goals and dreams.

Three years ago, our education system was facing several challenges. The Territory was in violation in the use of federal funds, and was not using all the funding that was available. Not all of our public high schools were accredited, and very few of our schools were meeting their Annual Yearly Progress goals, known as AYP.

Improving educational outcomes is slow and painstaking work. The Administration 
has continued to take steps forward, day-by-day, year-by-year. Today, all of the Territory's public high schools are accredited. Today, the Territory is compliant with federal 
regulations and spending all available federal funds. And this year the Territory has 
come close to tripling the number of schools that are meeting their AYP goals.

At several of our middle schools, the Administration is now implementing the AVID program – the Advancement via Individual Determination – to improve performance and prepare our students with the skills to ensure later success. And this past summer, the Governor implemented his Reading Challenge for kindergarten through eighth grade, to collect and distribute books, and establish awards for the most active readers.

The Administration has also initiated a survey of our students in Special Education with the goal putting focus on this group of students and their parents who require our greater attention and support. Governor de Jongh and Lt. Governor Francis are committed to improving our responsiveness to their special needs and to ensuring that their Individual Evaluation Plans are developed on time, are thorough and are implemented. To this end, The Administration has hired the government’s first Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.

Several additional initiatives have been undertaken to support our students:

Career and technical programs have been established that will provide more national certifications for our students and provide career pathways to jobs in the innovation economy identified by our Workforce Investment Board.

The Department of Human Services is currently reviewing new rules and regulations for day care and development centers to ensure a universal standard for the next generation. 

The Territory have also rejoined the Jobs For America’s Graduate program, with the initial programs at two high schools to ensure that our at-risk students have the school and career counseling to ensure their eventual success.

Investment in Capital Projects

The Administration has continued to invest capital in school projects across the Territory

After 14 years, the cafeteria and the auditorium Cancryn School are being rebuilt. The cafeteria at Muller school is being expanded to better accommodate the growing student population. At Central High,  the electrical infrastructure has been upgraded, new bleachers to the gym added, old student lockers replaced and vocational building has been repaired. As a result, Central High regained full accreditation from Middle States, and all the public high schools in the territory are now fully accredited. 

At John Woodson School, the longstanding problem of hot classrooms, which led to shortened school days, has been fixed. All classrooms are air conditioned, the auditorium has been renovated, new benches have been placed in the court yard, and fiberglass has been removed from the cafeteria.

The Administration also continues to work with the U.S. National Park Service to obtain land for a new school on the island of St. John. They are proceeding with a new wing at Charlotte Amalie High School, and Education Commissioner Terry has begun planning for a new building at Central High School. 

Support for Our Teachers

We all understand that our teachers are the foundation of our educational efforts. Without the dedication of our teachers and education professionals our children would not have the guidance, knowledge, and nurturing they need to succeed. Through the de Jongh-Francis Administration's efforts, the number of certified and highly qualified teachers in the public school system has increased by nearly 50%.