Ismael Alonso leaves the Government and returns to USO as a union representative for the subsidized private sector: “I do it as a private.”

PalmAfter two years and four months in various positions at the Ministry of Education and the SOIB (Balearic Islands Employment Service), Ismael Alonso is ending his tenure as a high-ranking government official and will return to the USO union, where he has been a member for decades. "I'll be returning to USO (the largest union in the subsidized private school sector), but as a rank-and-file member. The position of secretary of the USO Education Federation now belongs to Juan Carlos Lorenzo, not me," he explained in an interview with ARA Baleares. He explained that he has a permanent position at the CC La Milagrosa school and doesn't want to jeopardize the person who is replacing him. That's why he's returning to the union. "Many people have contacted me to thank me for my work at the Ministry of Education and to express their happiness at my return," he said. Alonso was the director of the SOIB until October 27th, a position he resigned from after just over three months. He had previously served as Director General of Teaching Staff and Subsidized Schools for the Regional Ministry of Education and as Director General of Educational Planning, Organization, and Infrastructure. He held all three of these positions in just two years and four months.

After her time at the General Directorate of Teaching Staff and Subsidized Schools, where unions directed their complaints about the situation of teachers in both public and subsidized schools, she will now return to the other side of the table. She will defend the rights of teachers in subsidized schools against Joana Maria Cabrer, who replaced her after her departure from the Ministry of Education. Now, however, she has detailed knowledge of the Ministry's inner workings, something she can use to her advantage on behalf of those she represents. "Returning to USO makes me happy, because I had been working to build it up for 20 years. During my time in politics, I never stopped paying attention," she explains.

She is ending her time in politics, a period she leaves without "bitterness" towards anyone or anything. "I did everything I could. I went as far as I could and as far as they let me go." She affirms that it has all been intense. "I've dedicated all the time I could, sacrificing time with family and friends. Being a politician is undervalued. During my time in Education, I felt good because I was able to do things that helped people. No bitterness whatsoever," he insists.

Regarding his dismissal from the Department of Education and his transfer to the SOIB (Balearic Islands Employment Service), he explains: "They felt I needed to go somewhere else and told me I was needed there," he says. "When you realize you can no longer help, you leave, period. I have no attachment to the position or the salary. It's not all about money or work. At 51, everyone should be where they're meant to be. It's a return to a quieter life," he explains, in relation to the new stage that will begin as...

The balance of the journey

In his resignation letter addressed to the Minister of Labor, Catalina Cabrer – who oversees the SOIB (Balearic Islands Employment Service) – Alonso also reviews his time as Director General of Teaching Staff and Subsidized Schools, a position he had held since January 2024 and which he entered "with the clear objective that subsidized schools be treated with the same respect as other schools." Previously, since July 2023, he had been Director General of Educational Planning, Organization, and Infrastructure, an area that, with the reorganization of the Education Department in January 2024, was divided among different positions.

During his tenure, the Department of Teaching Personnel introduced positive measures, such as supplementary payments for teachers in hard-to-fill positions, but there were also significant controversies, such as the chaos surrounding the 2024 temporary teacher assignments. Those affected had to wait until the early hours of the morning to learn their fate. Union sources maintain that, despite Alonso's affable nature, the Directorate General did not function well.

He was replaced by Joana Maria Cabrer. A mathematics teacher in public school and Councilor for Education in the Sant Llorenç des Cardassar City Council (Mallorca), she arrived at the Department during one of the busiest times of the year for Teaching Personnel: competitive examinations, assignments for temporary teachers, and preparations for the 2025-2026 academic year. Once again, chaos reigned, temporary staff were disgruntled, and the final resolution was signed before the appeals had been resolved—something Cabrer attributed to a lack of coordination in the administrative signing processes.