Mayor champions SHAPE for Himamaylan’s educators

Mayor Raymund Tongson has green-lighted the annual School Heads Advancement Program for Excellence (SHAPE), aimed at fostering leadership among educators in the Schools Division of Himamaylan City. Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales initiated the program, which received approval on the morning of April 4, preceding the city’s DepEd Day festivities later that day, part of the Himaya Festival.

“Locally-initiated programs like SHAPE show how eager our teachers in the DepEd Schools Division of Himamaylan City are to take on leadership roles,” Tongson said. He expressed his delight at their enthusiasm and commitment to delivering quality education.

Tongson is determined to establish SHAPE as a key component of the Himamaylan City Local School Board’s teacher development initiatives. The program emphasizes a comprehensive review series for all school head candidates within the division, offering professional development to keep them abreast of their duties as outlined in the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads.

“As part of our initiative, we have recognized the need for technical assistance with various ICT systems, especially for conducting the pre-test and post-test for school head aspirants,” Superintendent Sales remarked.

Earlier in the week, the Schools Division of Himamaylan City proposed a partnership with the Schools Division of Sagay City to adopt its localized online system for National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) mock tests. “Through this collaboration, we aim to better prepare our principal candidates for the upcoming NQESH,” Sales noted.

The Schools Division of Himamaylan City comprises 38 complete elementary schools, 10 secondary schools, 6 integrated schools, and 8 private schools.

In other news, the city government has distributed a total of PHP 726,000 to 726 public school teachers since January, fulfilling Mayor Tongson’s pledge from the previous year to supplement their year-end bonuses. A total of PHP 1,208,000 will be granted as additional bonuses to 1,208 public school teachers, with each receiving PHP 1,000.