Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A new document is circulating from several parents of students attending the South Pacific Academy has made its way to some lawmakers — suggesting that the court be petitioned to “place SPA under a receivership to allow the education of our students to continue” amid the impasse between striking teachers and the board.

This is in addition to a petition by parents of SPA students supporting the private school’s striking teachers that was launched last week Thursday calling for the reinstatement of two terminated teachers and removal of the SPA board chairperson.

BOARD POLICY MANUAL

By late yesterday morning, a new set of SPA documents circulated among parents, which includes the 70-page SPA board policy manual that covers several matters such as Disciplining of a Teacher or Certified Personnel, which was adopted in May 7, 1998.

According to the manual, teachers and certified personnel may be subject to disciplinary actions. If disciplinary actions are taken, it may be necessary to determine whether or not an employee is competent and/ or appropriate to fulfill his/ her position.

The manual says that except in circumstances deemed necessary of immediate action, all disciplinary action shall follow the following procedure:

•   A verbal warning will be given.

•   A second verbal warning with a memo stating the area(s) of concern and corrective action required.

•   A hearing with the principal with a resulting memo that spells out the actions to be taken if area(s) of concern continue with no corrective action occurring. Staff member provide a written report to the principal explaining area(s) of concern and status of corrective action(s).

•   A hearing in front of the School Board with recommendation from the principal regarding action to be taken.

Also adopted on May 7, 1998 is the Separation and Termination policy, which states that a teacher may be dismissed “only upon the recommendation” of the principal and majority vote of the Board.

A termination during the school year will require:

•   A verbal warning will be given.

•   A second verbal warning with a memo stating the area(s) of concern and corrective action required.

•   A hearing with the principal to spell out the actions to be taken if area(s) of concern continue. Staff member will need to provide a written report to the principal explaining area(s) of concern and status of corrective action(s). Documented by memo.

•   A Board hearing will be scheduled to review recommendations of the principal regarding action to be taken.

According to this policy provision, the Board shall expect any teacher desiring to terminate his/ her service to provide the Board with a minimum of thirty (30) days notice before the effective termination date.

PARENTS PETITION

The Mar. 4th parents’ petition made similar demands as those by the striking teachers, saying that parents, who signed the petition, recognize that SPA teachers are high-quality educators who have long served SPA and the community.

“We've witnessed their hard work and caliber in the countless accolades of their graduates throughout the years,” the parents petition said, noting that they recognize the teachers “pleas for fair treatment in the workplace and support the teachers' petition” for the reinstatement of two terminated teachers “with the right to due process before termination,” removal of board chair, Salamasina Satele “to restore integrity and trust in the board” and also remove the current the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) President and support the call for a new PTO election.

The petition also calls for the removal of administrative access of members of the Board to PowerSchool, and restrict access to only office administrators — i.e. principal, IT manager and office manager.

“We are prepared to no longer support South Pacific Academy if these changes are not made,” according to the petition, which is circulated along with a separate one-page document — “Background Information for SPA parents petition for receivership petition”. This document along with parents’ petition has reached some lawmakers and others in the community.

According to the one-page document the ongoing strike by the majority of teachers “as a result of allegations of a hostile work environment caused by the actions of the SPA Board has interrupted the normal school operations and for all practical purposes halted the education of our children.”

It reiterated issues raised by teachers such as:

•   Hostile work environment

•   Intimidation and fear tactics by the actions of SPA Board

•   Lack of due process by SPA Board terminating two teachers

•   Unauthorized access to PowerSchool student grading program

•   Unfair and inequitable treatment of Teachers by SPA Board

•   Access granted by SPA Board for substitute teachers, some with no formal training or teaching credentials resulting in unsatisfactory instruction for SPA students.

“The ongoing strike and the unacceptable replacement of teachers and staff, along with the lack of any positive progress between the SPA Board and the striking Teachers has placed the student body of SPA with inadequate instruction and inappropriate supervision during school hours,” it says.

According to the document, the impasse between the striking teachers and the SPA Board “endangers the welfare and safety of our children and left us, the concerned parents of SPA with no other recourse than to petition the court to place SPA under a receivership to allow the education of our students to continue while the disagreements and issues between the teachers and the SPA Board [are resolved].”

It also points to the Mar. 4th meeting between the board and parents’ discussion with the striking teachers. The meeting was also an opportunity for parents to share their opinions and express their concerns.

“It was very evident by the well-attended meeting that the parents expressed serious concerns about the current impact of the teacher’s strike is having on our children and their education and serious concerns many parents had with the current SPA Board,” the document said.

“Based on the lack of any successful negotiations between the striking teachers and SPA Board and the urgency to get our children back to the level of instruction, we the parents of SPA students believe immediate action is needed to satisfactorily resolve these critical issues,” it says.

In conclusion: “Any further delay in resolving these issues may permanently jeopardize the education of our children and cause lasting harm to South Pacific Academy.”

Following Thursday’s meeting with parents, the board sent out an email Sunday saying that the board’s “proposal was rejected by the striking teachers.”

“The sticking issue was a condition we demanded of the terminated teachers not ro return to campus and classrooms solely out of our concern for the welfare of your children and integrity of the Power School database,” it says. (See yesterday’s Samoa News online edition for details.)