The department of education in American Samoa says students aren't achieving, because they are forced to learn in a language they haven't fully grasped.
The law is that English is the main language for instruction in classrooms, and Samoan can be used for clarification.
The department is pushing a proposal that seeks to require teachers be proficient in both Samoan and English.
The special assistant to the director of education, Dr Amy Blizzard, says the director feels that in lower grades, while young students are still coming to grips with English, teachers should be able to teach in Samoan.
"By sixth grade or so, it would go to mostly English, and then by high school it would all be in English. But her belief is the English starting in Kindergarten is what hurts our students because they don't have exposure to it before they get to school, and thus they're trying to learn English, and learn in English at the same time."
The special assistant to the director of education, Dr Amy Blizzard.