Blog – Page 15 – West Wind Education Policy

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West Wind’s 10th Anniversary: A Time to Give Back

Posted on August 15, 2011August 19, 2011 by Mandi Bozarth

Reading Time: 2 minutes

This year West Wind Education Policy, Inc. is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. To honor the goals and purposes of West Wind, staff chose to celebrate by completing service projects in our community to support local K-12 education. In June, the West Wind team assisted the Mayor’s Youth Empowerment (MYEP) and Fast Trac Program as they transitioned into a new building. MYEP provides day-habilitation, respite, residential, after school and summer care opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. The Fast Trac Program provides support for youth in grades 4 through 12, bringing together teachers, community leaders, families and students to provide activities, events, mentoring and academic guidance to students. The Fast Trac program offers the following as a statement of purpose:

“Our goal is change. Giving students a reason to change has always been the missing piece in motivating students to focus on their education. Since the FasTrac Program began, these students have exceeded all expectations set by themselves and by their parents. This program has grown from six original African-American students to currently over 100 students of all ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, the program assists students in 4th through 12th grade, now with a program for elementary school students, FasTrac-E, which follows each student in the program beginning in 4th grade, all the way through their high school career.”

MYEP and Fast Trac are amazing organizations, getting wonderful results for students. When we arrived, the staff was busy preparing materials for students and moving equipment through the rooms. Donated art work had been hung on the wall; games, books, and toys filled the rooms; foosball tables and televisions were available as well as school and art supplies. We spent the morning wiping out bins, locating missing puzzle pieces, dusting furniture, arranging books, and even moving a very heavy foosball table.

On the morning of August 3 the West Wind team joined other volunteers and organizers from To Gather Together, a local organization that gathers donations to buy school supplies from churches, individuals, businesses, and social services agencies. To Gather Together provides school supplies to over 3,000 children in Johnson County, Iowa. West Wind staff assisted by counting out supplies such as crayons, markers, folders, and paper. We sorted the supplies into stacks for specific schools and teams of volunteers delivered these the next day.

West Wind wants to offer our thanks to both the Mayor’s Youth Empowerment/Fast Trac Programs and To Gather Together for providing us the opportunity to support them in their work. Both of these programs are an amazing asset to our community and the staff and volunteers who make these programs function deserve a round of applause for their hard work and dedication to education for all children. Thank you on behalf of the West Wind team. It is heartening to work with individuals on the ground dedicated to educational opportunities for each and every child.

How Adults Learn: What Do Reformers Need to Know?

Posted on August 4, 2011August 4, 2011 by Deb Hansen

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The West Wind Education Policy web site describes our work in the area of knowledge building and professional development as being based on theories of andragogy–or adult learning. The study of adult learning theory and experience in designing and supporting professional development for educators has taught us a lot about the way teachers and school leaders learn when engaging in professional growth experiences. Andragogy theories suggest that adults need to learn experientially and to be actively involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction. We know that adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value. We know that experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for effective learning activities and that problem-centered learning rather than content-oriented learning is more meaningful to the adult. Educators, like all other adult learners bring with them a reservoir of experiences, but they also bring extensive doubts and fears to the educational process. Well-designed learning establishes an environment where each learner feels safe and supported, where the individual’s needs and uniqueness are honored, and where the participant’s abilities and life achievements are acknowledged and respected. A productive learning environment encourages experimentation and creativity, while fostering intellectual freedom.

Carrie Leana, a researcher from the University of Pittsburgh studied the influence of human and social capital in school settings. Her research suggests that social capital thrives in an atmosphere of mutual trust and collective practice. According to Leana, a school climate that is characterized by trust provides an environment where teachers routinely talk to each other, share the same norms, and hold strong agreement in their descriptions of their school’s culture. Her findings suggest that a trusting climate is more important than the teacher education level, teacher certification, or other human capital measures in predicting student achievement scores.

As federal, state, and local district leaders establish policies that seek to improve educator effectiveness, they are advancing requirements that are intended to change practices in human capital management. Reforms being considered aim at raising standards, ensuring that mentoring and induction supports are in place, offering quality professional development, and improving teacher preparation and performance evaluation systems. If these reforms are going to make a difference, the designers and implementers should consider how the intended and unintended consequences will impact the learning environment for educators. Those responsible for leading reforms should ask questions such as:

• Will reforms provide the infrastructure and the necessary funding to provide intensive professional development?
• Are there policies in place that allocate adequate time for professional growth and collaboration?
• Will performance review processes offer meaningful, accurate, and timely feedback in a way that enhances reflection and supports continuous growth in a safe culture?
• Are educator effectiveness systems designed to contribute to a culture of inquiry, trust, and professional collaboration or is there a risk they will contribute to learning environments that are characterized by competition and norms that create distrust?
• Are teachers full partners in discussions and decision making about changes to the educator effectiveness systems?
• Once changes are implemented, are they evaluated to determine whether the intended outcomes are accomplished? Have any unintended consequences occurred?

For those of us involved in the work of knowledge building and supporting policy developers it is key that we keep asking ourselves this question: What can we do to help policy leaders learn about andragogy, as well as human and social capital so they can make thoughtful decisions about how to build the capacity of educators?

Knowles, M. S. et al (1984) Andragogy in Action. Applying modern principles of adult education, San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Web reference site of Nan B. Adams, PhD . Southeastern Louisiana University.

Retrieved from:
www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/nadams/etec630&665/Knowles.html

Smith, M. K. (2002) ‘Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy’, the encyclopedia of informal education, Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.

Leana.C. (2010) Social Capital: The Collective Component of Teaching Quality Annenberg Institute for School Reform | Voices in Urban Education p 16-23. Retrieved from www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/wp-content/pdf/VUE27_Leana.pdf

Reform strategies give opportunities and voice to students

Posted on July 15, 2011August 19, 2011 by Circe Stumbo

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The National High School Center this summer is modeling two strategies that are central to education reform efforts: first by providing community-based education opportunities for local youth and second by giving voice to that student experience.

NHSC’s parent organization American Institutes for Research is sponsoring a student employee through Washington DC’s Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute (MYLI), a community program that provides learning and growth opportunities to DC youth. Daisha Hale, a 2011 graduate from Benjamin Banneker Academic Senior High School in Washington, DC, is working at AIR and last week published a post for the National High School Center’s High School Matters blog describing her experience with the MYLI.

West Wind is serving on the High School Matters blog editorial team and we are looking for high school students to contribute to the blog. West Wind also has been including local students and youth in our own programming, as well, such as our employment of students with disabilities through the local schools’ Transitions Service Center, serving as a mentor and Bronze Sponsor for Iowa City’s Fast Trac program, showcasing artwork by Tate High School students in our office gallery, and by inviting student contributors to our blog.

Can your organization provide community-based programs for students? Do you have structures—publications, meetings, etc.—where student voice should be present?

Muscatine to Host the Iowa Latino Conference

Posted on July 7, 2011July 7, 2011 by Alyssa Rodriguez

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The 13th Annual Iowa Latino Conference is scheduled for October 28-29, 2011 in Muscatine, Iowa. West Wind Education Policy Inc. has had the opportunity to offer volunteer support to the conference; I look forward to representing West Wind and helping plan the Friday Youth Leadership Development Summit to offer new opportunities for a young and growing population. Although I was born and raised an Iowan Latina, this is my first time being involved with the conference. Through its absence in my youth, I know how important this event will be for young Latinos to come together, network and embrace their potential as the future of Latinos in Iowa.

The conference and summit will feature keynote speaker, Michael Benitez Jr., a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University. Benitez, Jr. is a seasoned speaker on a multitude of topics including Chicanos/Latinos, Education, and Hip Hop. He is said to challenge “the complacency students grow used to and how institutions cultivate apathy among our youth”[1]. This will align perfectly to the summit’s “leadership” theme.

In addition to Benitez, Jr., there will be a morning college fair and catering (the conference hopes to showcase the many local Mexican food restaurants) during lunch. This is a great opportunity for Muscatine to display its community and embrace Latinos who make up 15%[2] of this city’s population while welcoming conference participants from across Iowa.

“Latinos are a growing part of our community, and I’m pleased to say that. The work ethic, caring and love they bring are qualities we desperately need in our community” said Bill Phelan, head of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry[3].

The conference is “the only opportunity for Latino leaders, artists and educators to come together as a community to learn and share their knowledge and talent with those who support and celebrate Latin American culture and traditions,” according to conference committee co-chair, Carlos Duran of Mobilizing Muscatine Excellence[4].

The Friday date for the Youth Summit serves Muscatine School District’s schedule well as there are no classes that day. Organizers are recruiting students from all around Iowa to attend. The opening day of the conference will also feature a Professional Development Institute (details forthcoming). On Saturday, October 29, the conference will be geared to all community members. You can find the latest information about the conference here.

[1] Speak Out! (2011, July 7). Michael Benitez Jr: Scholar and speaker integrating Hip Hop pedagogy and academic inquiry. Retrieved from http://www.speakoutnow.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=676

[2] Ferguson, Mike. (2011). Muscatine lands major Latino conference. The Muscatine Journal. Retrieved from http://muscatinejournal.com/news/local/article_dd7c71fc-9704-11e0-b42b-001cc4c03286.html

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

Thank You to All Our Para-Professionals

Posted on July 7, 2011July 7, 2011 by Mandi Bozarth

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Last month my mother, Sherry Bozarth, retired from 18 years in the Oklahoma public school system. She took a position in the school cafeteria when I was in junior high so that she would have the same schedule as my sister and I – and, I suspect, so that she could keep an eye on us. After several years, she became a para-professional, a position she held for 13 years. Para-professionals support special educational needs students in the classroom. Over the years she worked with a broad range of students with very different needs. And during that time, as I watched her grow within her career, I learned a lot about what it takes to offer education to all students.

I have worked with students with special educational needs as a teacher, a teacher’s assistant, and as a volunteer. I realize that providing these students with real, meaningful educational opportunities takes a great deal of time, effort, and patience. My mother worked year after year, taking part in professional development to keep abreast of new technologies and new pedagogical ideas, reading textbooks at home at night to make sure she had an individualized plan for her students, and standing up for the students she supported inside the classroom and within the school. She sometimes came home from work with bruises after a child had kicked or hit her in a difficult moment; several times I watched her cry when one of her students was ill or in trouble; and many times I heard stories about students spitting on her, yelling at her, or threatening her. But she never lost her dedication to those students and their right to an education. She took one of her students on a field trip to a renaissance fair in a city 60 miles away, because that was his dream. Every year she looked forward to the Special Olympics like no other person I know. In fact, sometimes after listening to her brag about the medals her students won my sister and I wondered if we needed to explain to her how the Special Olympics really work. All Special Olympic participants receive a medal and the top three receive gold, silver, and bronze medals; my mother never included the color of the medals in her success stories.

Each day she called me on her way home from work. Some days she was tired, but her passion for her education and her pride in the daily accomplishments of her students was always there.

It was my mother’s dream to work in the public school as an educator, so it is hardly surprising that she did so with such zeal and dedication. And that zeal is obvious when you run into one of her students. My mother worked in a school in a rural town of 1,000 people – the same school I attended from K-12 – so it is unavoidable that you run into her students everywhere you go. Just yesterday she told me that one of her students saw her getting out of her car and yelled her name until she came to say hello. She worked with one girl for several years and if you happen to see her in town she runs over and shares everything she has done since the last time she saw my mother. These students see what I see in her and so many educators in our schools—a true love of teaching and a pride in student achievement.

My mother’s dedication to equal educational opportunities for all students is something I see in our schools a lot, but it is not something we hear about in the news lately. Our teachers, principles and superintendents are key to strong school systems, and the support staff play an equal role. Strong support from a school’s para-professionals often makes the difference between a child with special educational needs receiving meaningful educational opportunities and a child moving through the system without the opportunity to grow.

So thank you Mom for all your hard work. I am proud of you. And thank you to all the dedicated para-professionals in our schools.

Portland School Board Adopts Racial Equity Policy

Posted on June 27, 2011June 27, 2011 by Circe Stumbo

Reading Time: 2 minutes

On June 13, the Portland (Oregon) School Board voted unanimously to adopt a Racial Equity Policy for the district. The Racial Equity Policy was supported by community and school leaders and, according to a district announcement, was met with applause during its first reading before the board on May 9.

The Racial Equity Policy acknowledges that Portland’s data is not unique (data from districts across the nation reveal similar racial disparities) and that complex societal and historical factors contribute to the inequities its students face. However, the Racial Equity Policy states:

Nonetheless, rather than perpetuating disparities, Portland Public Schools must address and overcome this inequity and institutional racism, providing all students with the support and opportunity to succeed. Portland Public Schools will significantly change its practices in order to achieve and maintain racial equity in education.

The Racial Equity Policy represents the progress of a district that has been telling what Superintendent Carole Smith called in her Guest Column in the Oregonian “the ‘brutual truth’ about factors that limit educational opportunities for our students, such as: inequity among our schools, classes that fail to meet the needs of all students and outdated ways of supporting better teaching.” Smith acknowledged that the district opened itself up for criticism when it began collaboratively analyzing data and asking difficult questions about race. However, she noted that the district gained something more important: “a better understanding of how to engage students at all grades and prepare them for a successful future.”

Congratulations to Portland Public Schools for telling the truth and to the Portland School Board for adopting a Racial Equity Policy that acknowledges and seeks to rectify that truth – not by scapegoating children of color, their families, and their communities but by accepting the responsibility to educate all of its students. We hope Portland will serve as a role model for other districts in addressing institutional racism and inequity, and we look forward to seeing how Portland’s Racial Equity Policy unfolds.

Image source: Portland Public Schools

Africa in an Afternoon Hits Home

Posted on June 15, 2011September 14, 2011 by Circe Stumbo

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I recently returned from my first trip beyond the borders of these United States. My son, who is 20, and I went to Spain with a couple of backpacks, a general idea of the cities we wanted to visit and no hotel or transportation reservations for the two weeks of our stay. During our time there knew we would visit Madrid, Barcelona, and Granada and the rest of our days were open for whatever adventures we might happen upon.

One morning we ventured south to Gibraltar, the British territory on the southern tip of Spain. Gibraltar, famed for the massive Rock of Gibraltar, which is really a small mountain in the midst of the flat waters where the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet, is known as one of the Pillars of Hercules. Historically, the Pillars of Hercules mark the end of the known world and the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar. With the Rock of Gibraltar as one Pillar, the other Pillar, is a mere 7 miles across the Straits, is in Africa. The exact location of the south Pillar is often disputed as there is not a physical monolith as distinct as the Rock of the northern Pillar.

Despite the fact that there is no monolith, the short distance across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco, Africa’s northernmost country, yields an irresistible and inviting view of its northern coast. So, we decided to go there. To Africa. For the afternoon. Because we could.

We hailed a cab and within an hour we were on a ferry, passports stamped, and were crossing the Straits for a leisurely afternoon in Africa. As the ferry crossed, a large foothill dominated the view–possibly the Southern Pillar? As we approached the coast, I could see on the side of the foothill very large Arabic lettering and wondered what it meant.

When I saw that sign the reality that we had just decided to go to Africa for the afternoon started settling in. I went from feeling excited to feeling sick. The closer we got, the more sick I felt. Why did I feel like this? Was it because in our hasty departure from Spain it had not occurred to me that I do not know a single word of Arabic, the language of our destination? Or was it that I had a one-way ferry ticket, only 40 euros in my pocket, and it was just occurring to me my credit cards were only authorized for use in Spain? For a second, it might have been some of that, but I knew between my son and I we had the problem-solving abilities and moxy to get us back to Spain.

That sick feeling persisted until I finally slept sometime the next morning (we did get back to Spain that night). I spent most of that afternoon in Africa, and many hours since, knowing that sick feeling was a result of suddenly realizing how cavalier I had been about getting to go to a place from which so many have been taken against their will.

Instead of spending that afternoon strolling the city and relaxing with some mint tea, the customary drink of Morocco, I spent it struggling in my thoughts with the global and historical context of my privilege and wishing I had been more thoughtful and intentional about that brief journey.

In the weeks that have since passed, the logistical details and mishaps of that day have become an entertaining anecdote as we share our stories of our trip with friends. More importantly, that brief journey has become part of my ongoing personal journey to understand my white privilege, both at home and beyond.

Reflections on Elementary School

Posted on June 6, 2011June 8, 2011 by Circe Stumbo

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The last day of the 2010-11 academic year for my kids was four days ago. It was a milestone day for both of my kids. My son finished his two years in junior high and is preparing to head into high school. My daughter finished 6^th grade, capping off her—and our—elementary school experience. She is preparing to transition to the junior high school that my son is departing.

As you can imagine, this has been a time of reflection and remembrance for our entire family. Unlike me, both of my kids attended the same school in the same town for their entire elementary school experience. It meant that school was a pretty important institution in both of their lives—and in mine. It also meant that I got to be a part of a particular school community for nine straight years. As we leave that elementary school for good, I thought I would share a few reflections about what mattered to us as a family over these past nine years in one elementary school.

Combined Classes: The elementary school originally was organized with all classes being combined every two years after kindergarten. That meant my son had the same teacher in 1^st and 2^nd grade, another teacher for 3^rd and 4^th grade, and another teacher for 5^th and 6^th grade. Each year, half his class would be new, as the upperclassmen moved on to their next teacher and a new crop of younger students filled in. In 2005, the school decided not to combine 1^st and 2^nd grade anymore, so my daughter had a different 1^st and 2^nd grade teacher. But after, she was in the combined classroom experience, too.

The chance for my kids to have teachers who knew them over a long(ish) period of time was valuable. The chance for me and their dad to get to know the teachers over time was valuable. By and large, the teachers really did get to know our kids—and us. We saved a lot of time over the course of those nine years by not having to start over every single year explaining what mattered to us and what we most wanted to work on with our kids.

Not only did the combined classroom model allow for a deeper student-teacher relationship, it also allowed my kids to spend part of their time as the younger kids in a class and part of the time as the older kids. With two children with summer birthdays, this was surprisingly nice. They don’t suffer for being the youngest in their peer group, but it was a nice opportunity to be the older mentors at least part of the time.

Lest you cringe (like I did) at the thought of a kid being stuck with a teacher for two years when the relationship isn’t working out, I do know several students who moved out of a classroom between grades. Admittedly, for some of the parents I know who did this, it was a tough decision to make; it was not common and the ethos was to stay in the assigned classrooms. And it generally required strong parental involvement to make such a choice. But, it was possible, which I thought was pretty important in each case I encountered.

Test data mattered, but SO much mattered more: Yes, we are in Iowa, where standardized testing has been going on for over 70 years. Indeed, we are in Iowa City, birthplace of the Iowa Testing Program and home to ACT and Pearson. In addition to the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, our school district uses the District Reading Assessment, an interim assessment that gives teachers periodic snapshots of student proficiency. And our teachers were quite adept at being able to use the data from the assessments to decide how to help each student progress. As parents, we were given test score data in our parent-teacher conferences and we discussed with the teachers how they were interpreting the data. I was able to see how data driven decision making made a positive difference in my children’s education.

I also, thankfully, was in a school that did not value test score data over and above other criteria that really mattered. We had a strong principal and thoughtful teachers who did not ostracize us if our kids did not perform well on a test. Admittedly, we were in a privileged position; the school was populated by some pretty privileged kids and was not in danger of being placed on a “watch” list or being bad-mouthed because of the composition and performance of our student body. And it really did take leadership to make sure that test score data had an appropriate place in the educational process.

Which was great, because in the end, I cared so much more about how my kids felt about themselves and about school than I did about how they did on those tests. That’s not say that I wasn’t concerned about their academic performance. I just knew that if they learned in first or second or third grade that they weren’t “smart” or they weren’t valued or they were a problem—or that school was an unfriendly place or that they felt bad being there—then my children really would suffer throughout their school career. I think we made it very clear to all the teachers, principals, and classified professionals what really mattered to us and why. And, they agreed. Almost to the individual teacher, they exhibited care and attention to my children as whole children. Yes, there were a couple of exceptions, but to be in an overall school culture where academics are central but happiness and engagement matter was a good thing.

Race Matters: As I write this, I am reminded of my privileged position, as a white mother with two white children in a predominantly white school system. It took me several years to realize that not all Iowa City schools were created equal and that not all schools had the kind of racial diversity that I had hoped for my kids to be a part of. I know…, “Duh”! We had picked an elementary school not based on test scores or student demographics, but because we found a house we loved and we believed it didn’t matter which elementary school our kids attended. They all were great, we thought, and, given what we did know about the town’ demographics and the reputation of the school, we thought we were in a racially diverse school community. We were wrong.

I realize now that I had a kind of disdain for the practice of picking houses based on the racial make-up and/or the test scores of the neighborhood schools—because too often that has been a way of racially segregating our schools. And so I put on blinders. Looking back, I wish I had looked at the school demographics. It turned out we were on the boundary between two very different elementary schools. I do not want to diminish my children’s feelings of school pride, but I really do wish we had looked for a home just a few blocks to the south so that my kids had attended a much more racially and economically diverse school. I couldn’t see that then, for lots of complicated reasons. But race has mattered a lot in my kids’ school experience. Just because we were in a predominantly racially homogeneous school, doesn’t mean my kids are exempt from race. Quite the opposite! But it is far too easy for us to reflect on our experiences and to forget that being white is to live a racialized existence in the United States today. Thankfully, my kids can reflect openly on their own race and the way race is a factor in our school and our neighborhood. We just too often miss the opportunities to recognize what we are learning and how we are benefiting unfairly by our race.

I hope that by being reflective about my own anecdotal experiences and the experiences my children share with me, I can be somewhat conscious about the perspectives I bring to my work. I hope to constantly work to recognize our perspectives, uncover our blind spots, and acknowledge our biases. Not to deny them, but to better understand them and to build education policies that honor and acknowledge the realities of student and parent experiences and choices.

Keeping the American Indian Education Truths Alive

Posted on May 26, 2011June 13, 2011 by Alyssa Rodriguez

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Since Osama bin Laden was killed nearly one month ago, many details about the mission have been unveiled. One particular story, which brings awareness to the “inappropriateness” of coding Osama bin Laden as “Geronimo,”[1] is a relevant and current reminder to the prevalence American Indians have as a thread of our nation.

In this way, it is important to be cognizant of American Indians, not only their revered historical figures from the past; but also their cultural traditions which struggle to be maintained and their hopes of responding to these ongoing issues today. In observing and aspiring to fully understand these issues from an education lens, it is important to not forget the past that has in part led to today’s state of American Indian education.

Currently, there are 565 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives. [2] While the Cherokee and Navajo nations contain the majority of American Indian citizens, the myriad other tribes hold their own distinct traditional and cultural markers. American Indian adolescents “make up only 1% of the total youth population [but] they account for 2% of the total juvenile population being held in custody and 3% of juvenile status offenders in custody.” [3] In 2003, 15 percent of Native youths 16- to 24-years old had not completed high school or earned a G.E.D. credential. This rate was more than twice the rate for white youths (6 percent), four times that of Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AA/PI) (4 percent) and about the same as Black youths. Only Hispanic students dropped out at rates higher than AI/AN students.

American Indian students attend public schools, private schools, schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and tribal schools. In the 2005–06 school year, 644,000 public elementary and secondary school students, or about 1 percent of all public school students, were American Indian or Alaska Native. Similarly, about 1 percent of all private school students were American Indian or Alaska Native. [4] About 8 percent of American Indian students attend schools funded by the BIE.

The BIE, despite accounting for serving only a small portion of American Indian students, carries strong cultural significance. The U.S. Department of the Interior website provides a useful history of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the establishment of the BIE whose mission aims to provide quality education opportunities through life in accordance with a tribe’s needs for cultural and economic well-being in order to maintain the diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities:

There have been three major legislative actions that restructured the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) with regard to educating American Indians since the Snyder Act of 1921: First, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 introduced the teaching of Indian history and culture in BIA schools (until then it had been Federal policy to acculturate and assimilate Indian people by eradicating their tribal cultures through a boarding school system). Second, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (P.L. 93-638) gave authority to federally recognized tribes to contract with the BIA for the operation of Bureau-funded schools and to determine education programs suitable for their children. The Education Amendments Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-561) and further technical amendments (P.L. 98-511, 99-99, and 100-297) provided funds directly to tribally operated schools, empowered Indian school boards, permitted local hiring of teachers and staff, and established a direct line of authority between the Education Director and the AS-IA. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110) brought additional requirements to the schools by holding them accountable for improving their students’ academic performance with the U.S. Department of Education supplemental program funds they receive through the Bureau.

Farther before the establishment of these various acts, with the installation of these boarding schools, came a very contrary notion. The founder of these schools, Richard Pratt, believed that “all the Indian there is in the [American Indian] race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.” As a result, American Indians were assimilated away from their traditions using methods that have haunted them since.

Although schools have complied towards transforming this past structure into a more positive experience for American Indian students, perpetual stereotypes and myths about American Indians are persistent.

Common stereotypes are: “that American Indians are drunks, get free money from the government, are made wealthy from casino revenue…or, that Indians are at one with nature, deeply religious and wise in the ways of spirituality” [5]. In relation to these stereotypes, are myths of the American Indian.

Some examples:

1. They prefer to be called Native Americans.

2. They are given special privileges.

3. They are a dying race.

4. They are easily identifiable.

5. They all live on a reservation.

6. They are born knowing their culture and heritage.

7. They feel honored by mascots. [6] The American Indian Sports Team Mascots website addresses this controversy; as does the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media.

Suggestions to overcoming these common but misguided perceptions are to provide counterexamples that lead to knowing American Indian culture in a more positive light. This will not only allow us to interact with American Indians more appropriately, but it also will allow American Indian students to learn in a more comfortable school environment.

Going directly to the source is another way to debunk these common misconceptions. That is why collaboration and consultation with American Indian officials and individuals is often a priority recommendation for reforming education to better serve American Indians. These officials know, after all, that it is their young students that will pave the way in assuring authentic perceptions of their [diverse groups of] people:

“We must prepare them for active and equal participation in the global market. We must prepare them to be citizens in the 21^st century. We must prepare them to be positive, involved members of our communities. And, most importantly, we must prepare them to be the future leaders of our governments. There is no more vital resource to the continued existence and integrity of Indian tribes than their children.” [7]

In the National Congress of American Indians’ summit last December, one of the recommendations was that states should be “required to enter into collaborative agreements with tribes.” [7] This, they believe will create a more welcoming and positive environment for American Indian students in which they will be more likely to thrive.

To see more American Indian led policy recommendations, go here.

[1]The Buffalo Post. 2011 Use of Geronimo Code name to be Discussed on Capitol Hill. Retrieved from http://buffalopost.net/?p=14623

[2]Bureau of Indian Affairs, http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/index.htm

[3] Mmari, K., Blum R., Shone-Teufel N., What Increases Risk and Protection from Delinquent Behaviors Among American Indian Youth? Findings from Three Tribal Communities, 2009,Youth & Society, Volume 41 Number 3, March 2010 pg 382-413.

[4] Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2008. Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaskan Natives: 2008. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008084

[5] Fleming, Walter C. (2006, November). Myths and Stereotypes About Native Americans. Phi Deltan Kappan, 88, 213-216.

[6] Ibid.

[7] National Congress of American Indians and National Indian Education Association. National Priorities for Indian Education. Retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/18/NCAI_NIEA_jointESEAreauth.pdf

[8] National Congress of American Indians, 2010 Education: 2010

Winning the Future, Facing the Odds

Posted on May 18, 2011June 8, 2011 by Alyssa Rodriguez

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In April, a President Obama-convened White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the U.S. Department of Education released a report entitled “Winning the Future: Improving Education for the Latino Community.”

In it, we are given a dismal picture about the state of our nation’s largest minority group and its educational attainment. Frankly, in order to “Win the future,” there are many odds to beat.

At more than 54 million strong, Latinos constitute the country’s largest and fastest-growing minority group. Currently, 1 in 5 students (22 percent) in the public schools system is Latino, yet half of these students never receive their high school diplomas. This lackluster demographic is mirrored on the other end of the continuum with less than half of Latino children enrolled in any early learning program.

Over the next decade, nearly 8 in 10 new U.S. jobs will require post-secondary training or a college degree. Latino dropout rates have lessened the advancement opportunities of a population that is set to become the majority of the nation’s labor force in less than 50 years.

Additionally, of the thirty fastest growing occupations in the U.S., half require a four-year college degree. The fifty-percent of Latinos that do receive their high school diploma is only half as likely as their peers to be prepared for college. In addition, just 13 percent of Latinos have a bachelor’s degree, and a mere 4 percent have completed graduate or professional degree programs[i]. Because economic progress and educational attainment go hand-in-hand, educating every American student through high school graduation and beyond is a national obligation.

Thus, it is repeatedly acknowledged in the report that these odds are not just a Latino problem; but a national one. Latino success educationally and occupationally impacts the immediate and long-term economic and academic status of the United States because we are (as previously mentioned) a fast-growing population, and a young one.

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics’ Executive Order 13555 was recently re-signed by President Obama with hopes of furthering a 20-plus year movement. Like Obama stated,

“The question then back in 1990 is the same question we face now: How do we best improve educational opportunities and outcomes for our Hispanic students?” [ii]

That this question has not changed in over 20 years is somewhat discouraging; and although the report shares priorities with other Hispanic organizations (i.e. National Council of La Raza), the outcomes remain to be seen.

If President Obama’s leadership indeed gets us started—

Fixing what is broken in our education system will not be easy. We won’t see results overnight. It may take years, even decades, for all these changes to pay off. But that’s no reason not to get started. That’s no reason not to strive for these changes. That’s a reason for us, in fact, to start making them right now. It’s a reason for us to follow through. And as long as I’m President, I will not give in to calls to shortchange any of our students[iii].

—this report could not have come at a more opportunistic time.

To see what the Obama agenda aspires to and how it plans to fulfill these aspirations, read the report here.

[i] U.S. Department of Education. April 2011. Winning the Future: Improving Education for the Latino Community. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/WinningTheFutureImprovingLatinoEducation.pdf

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.