As we celebrate both Teachers and Nurses Appreciation Week, the American Samoa Democratic Party wishes to highlight the invaluable contributions of our Territorial teachers and nurses for their service to our community.

Nurses are the glue of our healthcare systems and hospitals and are critical to the quality of care we receive. Additionally, teachers play an important role in shaping the minds of our youth and future workforce.

“In spite of the many challenges they face in the healthcare and classroom settings, they continue to show up to work everyday”, states Party Chair Patrick Ti’a Reid.

For nurses, among these challenges includes a U.S. Department of Education rule that restricts access to critical loan support for post-baccalaureate nursing education. The American Nurses Association representing over 5 million nurses across the nation recently issued a statement that this policy, “makes it harder for nurses to advance their careers and education.”

Teachers face similar challenges with Trump Administration’s executive decisions that include the dismantling of the US Department of Education, firing of Federal employees, and the recent budget proposal that seeks cuts to Federal funding that supports professional development, services for English learners, academic enrichment and student supports, before-and-after school programs, and rural schools.

The Party calls for fresh leadership and policies at the Federal level that invests in and advances the career pathways of our current and future nurses and teachers — not forces them away.