This is the first of a 7-part series in the “Time Out” column by Alex J. Rhowuniong focusing on Dr. Vidalino (Jones) Raatior. We hope they are informative and entertaining to you.
TIME OUT! WHO IS DR. VID?: Duty and joy propel “eChuukeison“ specialist
By Alex J. Rhowuniong
It’s the heavy weight from a sense of duty on his heart that’s constantly causing him to burn the midnight oil in California, USA; to consider ways to help schools in the state of Chuuk, especially in his islands in the Northwest region.
But it’s a small price to pay, considering the joy it brings Dr. Vidalino (Jones) Raatior, knowing that he is doing everything in his power to help his poor islands northwest of Chuuk Lagoon— especially the helpless little children.
“Not a bad trade-off,” he said with a smile some time ago.
Vid (as he’s affectionately known) is now done with considering. He is actually in the middle of implementing some of what he had worked on with his colleagues in America in recent years.
“Go to school! Come back and help our islands”
The Pacific-focused education specialist out of California, on a trip to Guam earlier in the year, told his family and friends in a special meeting: “I have never forgotten the advice of our elders: ‘Go to school! And when you are finished, come back and help our islands!’
“I’ve gone to school. And I’ve actually finished, by the grace of God. Now I’m ready to honor the request of our elders long ago, and give back to our islands. I’d like to make use of my degrees.
Vid earned his masters from the University of San Francisco; his doctorate (Ed.D.) from University of Hawaii at Manoa.
He has held a variety of educational leadership roles dating back to 1991 when he taught at Xavier High School. Since then he’s served as youth minister at Campus Ministry at UOG, trainer for student activists for Youth Together, Inc. in Oakland, associate and director of multicultural and international education at Santa Clara University, director of Pacific Islander Student Center at University of Hawaii at Hilo, and director of a STEM-focused project at the University of California Santa Cruz. Vid reflected on his 20-year career in education,
“For so long, I’ve been helping many children from other countries at colleges and universities in the US. Now, it’s time I come back to help my own… if they will have me.”
All in a summer’s work
Just this past summer, Vid rolled up his sleeves and got busy. He conducted a conference and gave a talk regarding ways to update, upgrade and improve schools in Northwest Chuuk.
To top that off, he held pivotal meetings also with key members of the Chuukese community in Chuuk and on Guam to, formally, announce his bid in the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia as representative of his region.
“It’s appropriate,” Vid later commented on his Facebook page, “that within the context of educational efforts, I officially filed my candidacy papers for the FSM Congress to represent the Northwest region.”
Earlier in July, Vid traveled to Chuuk to campaign and also to meet up with his buddy and PREL colleague, Dr. Joakim “Jojo” Peter from Ettal to train other teachers.
Conference title Chuukese-ized!
The pair facilitated a workshop at the recent Micronesian Teachers Education Conference (MTEC) entitled, “eChuukeiting echukeitors to lead authentically.”
The workshop title, which not only played on words, but actually Chuukese-ized English words, spoke volumes about the authenticity of their intentions and contents.
Even the acronym MTEC, Vid twirled further—Chuukese style—into Metekin Tongomw me Ekiekum Chuuk.
NW Chuuk the motivator!
It was obvious over the summer what was the actual driving force behind Vid’s work as he immersed himself into his educational efforts, both in Chuuk and Guam.
For instance, in MTEC where many Micronesian teachers gathered for professional development, Vid conducted a break-out session, “Building Capacity of Northwest Schools for IQBE.” The only session focused on a specific region in Micronesia (Northwest), the workshop aimed to prepare the Northwest teachers and principals for the next major national and state educational reform initiative known as Improving the Quality of Basic Education (IQBE).
Ever the collaborator, Dr. Raatior recruited the Northwest Area Supervisors, Fr. Floren Akkin (Weito), Steve Johnny (Pattiw), Jonathan Maycry (Pafeng), and other specialists Paulina Yourupi (PREL) and Ambrose Raymond (Principal, Weipat) to co-facilitate the workshop with him. Now, the Northwest schools are the first in the State of Chuuk to be introduced to IQBE, thanks to the leadership of Dr. Raatior and his partners.
After MTEC in Chuuk, Vid traveled to Guam to facilitate a discussion entitled, “Micronesians Advancing National Unity & Prosperity,” at the University of Guam with a roomful of students and educators from Micronesia and the Pacific region.
The focus was on a Pacific Resources and Education Learning (PREL)-sponsored initiative Vid is spearheading called Teach for Micronesia (TFM) aimed at recruiting, training, and employing the brightest Micronesian college graduates to teach for two years in high-need public schools throughout Micronesia.
The 52-year old Vid, originally from the outerislands of Houk/Tamatam/Onoun in Chuuk,
said he hopes UOG and other regional institutions will become integral part of his initiative as key locations for recruitment and training.
TFM for fairness
Himself a UOG alum Vid explains the concept of Teach for Micronesia (TFM) as a strength-based, equity driven initiative to give the children of Micronesia a quality education regardless of their gender, clan affiliation, parents income, or geographical location. Modeled after the Teach for All global network, the TFM combines the best of the US Peace Corps Volunteers, World Teach, Jesuit Volunteer Corp, Teach for America, and other programs. It targets largely young college graduates from Micronesia to train and equip them to teach in the classrooms. Later, these new teachers will be send back to possibly their own islands to teach for a couple of years.
Sam Ilesugam from outerisland Yap, also a strong Micronesian advocate on Guam and a participant in the seminar, said, “(This teachers’ training model Vid’s proposing) is one that hasn’t been tried. It’s nice because it takes into account our out-migration, the number of us (Micronesian degree holders) living overseas… and channels our thinking, our energy and our work back to back home.”
“It’s good,” added another participant, Dr. Ansito Walter, UOG facilty member and former Governor of Chuuk state. “I think it’s good for the future. Education is key.”
TFM open to not-so-young Micronesians
Vid also said TFM is not just for the young people. It’s open also to the older ones who have been working abroad, wanting to come home to help. In fact, even non-Micronesians will also be considered, initially, he said.
After their stint, however, these specially trained individuals can then move on to other things.
Vid, who at the time of writing was campaiging in Kansas City, MO., will return to Micronesia and Guam in September to lobby the FSM Congress for the TFM program funding.
Vid said, pending funding the program could start as early as the 2019 academic year.
***
Up next in our series, we should take a peek into Vid’s personal life:
***Especially his family life!
***If we have space, we should go check out little Vid “running” around at home wearing a strip of cloth called weiweita.
DJ, his older brother, quipped: “It was always nothing, but a slit of cloth!”
We’ll have to apologize ahead of time, by the way, if we cannot find our archived photos for proof. But we’ll try.
Also, we want to find out:
***What kind of a student is this man Vid (in elementary, jr. high, hs and perhaps even college).
Now, we’re not promising anything. But perhaps we’ll find some juicy stuff in here. After all, we’ll be poking around in a private zone where anything is bound to turn up.
So hang in here with us, will ya?
