ASG DOE Certification Board members confirmed

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga has nominated three women to the ASG Department of Education Certification — Mrs. Evelyn Lili’o-Satele, Mrs. Saouila Fanene Kava, and Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau — and they appeared this past Thursday morning before the Senate Education Committee for a confirmation hearing.

Later during the Senate session all three were confirmed via unanimous vote of 13-0.

At the hearing, chaired by Sen. Fai’ivae Iuli Godinet, who is the committee vice chair, he noted that the law establishing this board, has been in place for many years but in 2008 — during the Togiola Administration — an amendment was added to the local statute.

Fai’ivae along with other senators, who spoke during the hearing, pointed out that the committee does not have any questions pertaining to the qualifications of the nominees, as they  have all served in the local Education Department and have been educators for many years.

And committee members are thankful to the governor for re-activating this board, and it comes at a time when the Lemanu Administration has recently implemented a new pay scale for teachers.

Vaitinasa, who served as Education director between 2013 to 2016, was asked by Fai’ivae if this board was active during her tenure. She responded, “no” — however, if it was active, the department was not aware of it.

Vaitinasa said ASDOE — during her tenure — worked together with its other divisions, such as Teacher Quality, Elementary and Secondary focusing on teacher qualifications, as well as a reclassification that they were working on at the time. 

There were questions from among some committee members on what the duties and responsibilities are of this board, as there was no other information from the Administration.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean distributed copies of the law, which he said clearly outlines the board’s authority, as well as its duties and responsibilities. The law is “crystal clear,” he said and thanked the governor for nominees to this important board. He also thanked the nominees for accepting it.

“This is very important. When it comes to education, I don’t want to mix education and politics,” he said.

The Certification Board, according to local statute, is responsible for enforcing the teacher certification program adopted by the local Department of Education and set forth in regulations promulgated by the Education director as authorized by this title.

Other provisions of the law state that no person may be employed as a member of the teaching personnel in any public school who is not of good character, in good health, and in possession of a teacher’s certification granted by the Certification Board.

Furthermore, teaching personnel shall be classed as teachers, principals, vice principals, counselors, supervisors, education specialists, and such other classes as may be prescribed by the Education director.