Teachers, parents and school administrators testified in support of a bill that would establish the position of school psychologists and set standards for them.
Superintendent Judith Won Pat said that since the pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in students experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma responses and behavioral problems in schools.
Parent and former Department of Education Board Member Evangeline Cepeda testified on Bill 295-38.
“Our children are fragile. They are fragile. They feel depressed. They want to hang themselves. Nobody wants to talk about that. It is a fragile state. Nobody wants to discuss that,” she said.
The bill would establish a framework for school psychologists under the Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners.
It would also outline qualifications for licensure and establish a grandfather provision for people currently working as school psychologists.