Guam Legislature Advances Lifetime Teaching Certificate for Veteran Educators
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Summary
Lawmakers advanced bill 199‑38 COR to create a lifetime teaching certificate for educators with 25 or more years of service; the chamber adopted a floor amendment expanding eligibility for recently retired teachers from five to 10 years and moved the measure to third reading with safeguards for professional development and revocation for misconduct.
Senator Vince Borah, sponsor of bill 199‑38 COR, asked colleagues to support a measure establishing a lifetime teaching certificate for educators who have served about 25 years in Guam public schools. "This bill isn't just about a certificate," he said, arguing the proposal recognizes "a lifelong commitment, decades of sacrifice, hard work, resilience, and heart."
The measure, as explained on the floor, creates eligibility for veteran educators and includes explicit accountability: lifetime certification requires participation in professional development and evaluation every five years, and certification may be revoked if a holder violates the professional code of conduct or character assessments indicate disqualifying violations. "Lifetime certification doesn't mean lifetime immunity," the sponsor said.
On the floor the ranking member from Pago Bay proposed an amendment to allow teachers who retired in good standing within a specified window to apply for lifetime certification. After conferring with the author, senators amended the amendment to change the eligibility window from five years to a decade. One senator cautioned that a ten‑year window could leave returning teachers in need of refresher training for rapidly changing subject areas; supporters said the Guam Commission for Educator Certification (GCEC) and the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) can require professional development before or after issuance.
Supporters repeatedly framed the bill as a tool for retention. "When teachers leave, we don't just lose staff, we lose experience, wisdom, culture, and stability," the sponsor said. Senators who spoke in favor noted that the GCEC and the Department of Education participated in committee review and public hearings and that the bill includes mechanisms to preserve oversight and student safety.
Floor motions added several senators as cosponsors. With no objections, the body moved bill 199‑38 COR, as amended on the floor, into the third‑reading file for a later vote.
The next step is third reading and a roll‑call vote; supporters said the bill aims to reduce administrative barriers while preserving professional standards and the ability to revoke certification for misconduct.