Public school teachers in American Samoa are moving forward with the establishment of a teachers' association.
The teachers have recruited two veteran female educators, Dr. Salu Hunkin Finau and Dr. Trudie Iuli-Sala, to help set up the organization and a meeting is set for this weekend.
The issue of an association has been a priority for more than a year now, when more pressing issues dealing with teachers surfaced, such as teachers' pay scale.
Dr Hunkin-Finau, who is a former president of the American Samoa Community College, says such an organisation for teachers is long overdue.
She says there was a teachers' association many years ago, but that fizzled out, and with the hike in education enrollment, teachers should form a professional organisation.
Dr Iuli-Sala says the intent is to empower and unify teachers so that they can have a voice that will improve education and their profession.
