In the Northern Marianas, a government education official has admitted that putting what is defined as highly qualified teachers, or HQTs, in all classrooms remains a challenge.
At present, the Public School System has 164 teachers, or 29 percent of the teacher population, who have yet to be classified as HQTs.
They either lack degrees, valid certification, or have yet to pass the Praxis, a test that measures either basic academic skills or subject-specific knowledge and teaching skills.
Charlotte Camacho, a PSS primary schools' representative, says the problem is due to a lack of funding to recruit qualified personnel.
The PSS has another 20 months to meet the Federal mandate to fill all its classrooms with HQT personnel.