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Governor signs teacher pay raise legislation into law
Governor Togiola Tulafono signed into law on June 5 a bill that increases the salaries of local public school teachers beginning at $7,737 up to $35,000 depending on certification and qualifications.
The announcement was made public during the Governor’s speech at the Nu’uuli Vocational/Technical High School graduation ceremony where he thanked the local teachers for their hard work and announced that he had signed the reclassification bill.
(The Fono approved the legislation last month and since then, DOE and the Department of Human Resources have been working hard to implement the teacher reclassification).
The bill, which was signed as the school year came to an end, goes into effect immediately, and the first increases are expected to go into effect next month.
Togiola informed the Fono of his decision through a letter that was submitted along with a copy of the signed legislation.
The Governor explained that the intent of the bill has always been to “reward excellence in the classroom and encourage professional development.” He explained that it is the sincere hope of the administration to provide a stable environment that rewards excellence, professional development, and good attendance for our teachers.
According to the Governor, recruiting and retaining teachers to provide instruction for the children of American Samoa has been a constant challenge, and the Teacher Reclassification Act revises the pay-scale for teachers, thus making the position more competitive “for easier recruiting and for retaining teachers throughout the school year.”
He added that most critical to the effort is the shared position that “advancement in the teaching profession must be based on credentials, performance, and attendance.”
The pay increases will be funded with unspent DOE funding for each fiscal year which, according to DOE director Dr. Claire Poumele’s testimony before the Fono last month, will be an estimated $754,00 in local revenues and $504,000 in federal grants by the end of FY 2008.
The new reclassification bill provides for the establishment of a certification board appointed by the Governor and approved by the Fono, to oversee the licensing and certification for all teaching personnel within the public school system.
The certification board is responsible for enforcing the teacher certification program adopted by DOE.
Under the new law, and based on certifications and qualifications, teachers with temporary certifications will make no less than $7,737 per year, while a teacher with a provisional certificate will earn no less than $11,566 per year.
Teachers who possess a professional certificate I will earn at least $17,572 annually while a teacher with a professional certificate II will make no less than $21,575 per year. A teacher with a professional certificate III will get paid at least $25,841 a year while teachers with a professional certificate IV will make no less than $30,945 annually.
Degrees in Samoan language and culture are to be reviewed by DOE.
Under the new law, foreign degree holders must submit to DOE their qualifications for review by a reputable and authorized assessment agency to determine the holders’ certification status with DOE. Long time educators with baccalaureate degrees who have worked for ASDOE for 2 decades or more are exempted from the certification requirements, but they must successfully complete additional coursework as prescribed by the certification board.
Veteran teachers without baccalaureate degrees must successfully complete an annual veteran training program in addition to successfully completing prescribed coursework in order to be eligible for increment consideration.
The new law states that increments will be implemented annually instead of every two years as the administration had originally proposed.
Currently, there is an estimated 900 teachers employed in the public school system.
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