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Fono News

FAIMEALELEI ASKS FOR FINANCIAL REPORT ON TEAM THAT CONDUCTED SPED REVIEW

 

Rep Faimealelei Anthony Allen is calling on the Chairman of the Department of Education Committee to ask for the Special Education financial reports, and also the finance documents for a team of specialists from Hawai’i that conducted the review of SPED (Special Education Division).

 

Faimealelei is interested in how much the DOE spent on the airfares and per diems for these people. The team Faimealelei is referring to came down last year June and July, following numerous complaints about the SPED program, according to Education Department director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau.

 

The DOE Director told Samoa News last year that due to the “numerous complaints” from parents of children with disabilities, she ordered a thorough “review” — not an ‘audit’ — of the Special Education Division, which has since been completed, and ASDOE is working to address the problems cited in the report. The SPED review conducted in June and July of last year by a team of specialists from Hawai’i found, among other things, a lack of competent personnel and a lack of supervision within the division.

 

ASDOE-SPED received $6.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education. A hearing has been called by Faimealelei for this Wednesday morning regarding the SPED program. The acting DOE director, as Vaitinasa is off-island and SPED officials.

 

Vaitinasa told Samoa News the team that came down was made up of a group of Hawai’i based Special Education teachers, who are from Kapolei High School and Ka Waihona o Ka Na’auao Public Park Charter School. The two Hawai’i schools are partners with ASDOE on special education and other matters.

 

Faimealelei told Samoa News that he will be asking why DOE reached out to these people from Hawai’i, yet there are grantors whom the request should’ve gone to, for a review of the SPED program. Samoa News understands the SPED program is currently being reorganized, as part of DOE’s efforts to revise its organization chart, which has yet to be approved by the governor or ASG.

 

The House rep told Samoa News that after the grantors read the review of SPED online with Samoa News, they then paid a visit to American Samoa a couple of months later. He did not say what the grantors’ visit entailed, however, Samoa News notes Vaitinasa told Samoa News that some grantors were on island to run workshops to address some of the problems noted in the report.

 

Emails to the DOE Director were not immediately answered.

 

ACT REGULATING ABILITY OF CORPORATIONS TO SPONSOR ALIENS INTRODUCED

 

The Senate and House of Representatives introduced in first reading an act regulating the ability of corporations to sponsor aliens, amending the current local statute. The administration bill was submitted during the last legislature, however it was killed.

 

According to the proposed bill, the current law under ASCA 41.0408 is vague and provides minimal direction on the sponsorship of aliens by corporations. This has led to the sponsorship of aliens by corporations in a manner that is inconsistent with the revised constitution of American Samoa. The territory would benefit from specific language to more effectively control and limit the sponsorship of aliens by corporations.

 

Amendments to the bill are as follows:

 

The proposed measure says that any corporation authorized by statute to do business in American Samoa, must be certified by the Attorney General to sponsor aliens pursuant to the following general requirements: established record of financial responsibility; proof of timely payment of local taxes, fees and other government assessments; in the case of a new corporation, proof of an established business plan for operations in American Samoa; and good corporate citizenship.

 

“These general requirements may be expanded or elaborated upon from time to time through the promulgation of regulations by the Attorney General.”

 

Revisions would also include that “No corporation may sponsor an alien who has any control or interest in the sponsoring corporation. Such persons who are deemed to have control or interest in a corporation shall include but not be limited to alien incorporators, investors, shareholders, directors and officers of any corporation incorporated under the laws of American Samoa.

 

The bill also deletes the part which says “Sponsorship of persons may be transferred from one employer to another, provided the board is satisfied of the need and of the lack of permanent residents for such employment.”

 

House Legal Affairs Committee chaired by Rep Vui Florence Saulo has scheduled a hearing calling on the Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale and Chief Immigration Officer Tamasa Dennis Lutu as witnesses.