Bill No. 351-38 (COR) seeks to amend the laws governing educator classification and compensation in Guam by granting the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) the authority to establish its own classification, compensation, and benefit structure. The bill modifies Sections 6102 and 6103 of Article 1, Chapter 6, Title 4 of the Guam Code Annotated to clarify that these sections do not apply to GDOE personnel, who will instead be governed by a newly added Section 3137 in Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 17. This new section empowers the GDOE to create its own position classifications and compensation policies, while requiring the Guam Education Board to negotiate a comprehensive educator pay scale with recognized representatives.

The legislation aims to enhance educator compensation to improve recruitment and retention of qualified teachers in Guam, particularly in response to rising living costs and pay disparities. It establishes a market competitiveness standard, mandating that the new compensation structure achieve an average salary of at least 95% of the national average public school teacher salary within five years. The bill also ensures that no employee will face a reduction in salary or benefits due to the transition, and it includes a dispute resolution process for negotiations, with oversight from the Civil Service Commission. Additionally, it mandates annual reports on the implementation status and recruitment metrics to promote budget transparency and accountability.

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