NIEA LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT SETS TABLE FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
Congressional leaders and Obama administration officials offer support for advancing education for our Native students
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More than 150 NIEA members, leaders, and supporters came together last week in Washington, D.C. to advocate for Native children at the 12th Annual Legislative Summit.
During the three-day conference, key national education leaders and advocates for reforming Native education joined together with NIEA members to demonstrate support for the passage of the Native Culture, Language and Access for Success in Schools (Native CLASS) Act, which, if passed, would be part of Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind Act, and would support partnerships between State Education Agencies and Tribal Education Departments.
NIEA members also conducted 49 visits with House Members, Senators, and their respective staffs. This included meetings with House Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Don Young (R-AK) and Rep. Kristi L. Noem (R-SD), and the staffs of House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Ranking Member George Miller (D_CA), Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-SD), and Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ).
On Monday, during the State of Native Education Address , NIEA President Quinton Roman Nose touched upon the need for the federal government to meet its Trust responsibility to American Indian communities as outlined in the Constitution and in treaties the United States has with tribes and nations. This includes making strong investments in Indian Education Programs that can help Native communities improve education for their children and reverse centuries of damage done by past federal Indian education policies.
Roman Nose also unveiled NIEA's 2012 Legislative Agenda. It includes advocating for the passage of the Native CLASS Act, which, along with other advocacy efforts, would help all Native students, no matter if they are on the reservation or living in urban communities. Nine out of every ten American Indian and Alaska Native students live in urban, suburban, and rural communities outside of reservations. Declared Roman Nose: "We do not forget our people, no matter where they're at. The whole United States is Indian Country."
Former U.S. Department of Education General Counsel Charlie Rose advised NIEA members to take new approaches to advocating for Native students. This includes working the nation's state governments -- which account for 48 percent of all K-12 education spending and may have their own Trust obligations. Advocacy at the state level has been successfully undertaken by both teachers' unions such as the National Education Association and school reform groups such as ConnCAN. Also speaking on Monday was William Mendoza, Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education for the U.S. Department of Education. He laid out the progress the Obama administration is making on improving Native education through Executive Order 13592, which President Barack Obama signed into effect this past December.
On Tuesday, U.S. Bureau of Indian Education Director Keith O. Moore called for advocates to support data-driven solutions, while U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), and retiring Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) reaffirmed their efforts to improve education for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children. They were joined by U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), and advocates from NIEA's partner organizations.
Then on Wednesday, National Education Association Vice President Lily Eskelsen discussed how the nation's largest teachers' union could work together with NIEA advocates to help teachers gain the cultural competence needed to help Native children achieve success.
JUST THE FACTS: LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT MEDIA AND THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP COVERAGE
- NIEA President Quinton Roman Nose and other members were interviewed by public radio's National Native News during the final day of the Legislative Summit. Roman Nose
- This Week from Indian Country Today ran online coverage of the Legislative Summit, discussing NIEA's 2012 Legislative Agenda, putting special focus on NIEA's advocacy for the Native CLASS Act and the reauthorization of No Child/ESEA.
- The Cherokee Phoenixand Native News Networks also covered the Legislative Summit.
- Retweets from NIEA's Twitter feed were retweeted by partners and thought-leaders such as the Campaign for High School Equity
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NOW AVAILABLE: NIEA'S 2012 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION LIST
NIEA members are gearing up for stronger advocacy on behalf of our American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students. Read more about the 2012 Agenda and access resources that can be used in helping our communities choose excellent, culturally-based education.
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NEWS AND EVENTS SHAPING NATIVE ADVOCACY
No Child/ESEA: The Obama Administration's decision earlier this month to give 10 states waivers from provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (including the law's Adequate Yearly Progress and provisions that require states to track the performance of American Indian/Alaska Native students and other socioeconomic groups) has been a topic of discussion for both Native and non-Native advocates. Here are a variety of perspectives:
Other News and Commentary of Note
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NIEA ON THE MOVE
- On February 8, NIEA Director of Research, Data and Policy Dr. Dawn Mackety, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, gave a presentation during the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center's Webinar on the importance of family engagement in supporting American Indian students. Dr. Mackety discussed what it takes to help parents stay engaged in student learning, gleaning from her work as co-author of Examining American Indian Perspectives in the Central Region on Parent Involvement in Children's Education, a 2008 study for Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
- This month, NIEA Director of Policy and Outreach Danny Cup Choy, Native Hawaiian, gave presentations and speeches as part of advancing NIEA's thought-leadership on education policy and developing a new generation of advocates and leaders for improving Native education. This includes an appearance at the United National Indian Tribal Youth's 2012 Midyear Meeting; and at George Washington University's Native American Political Leadership Program.
- NIEA is pleased to announce the appointment of RiShawn Biddle as Director of Communications, effective January 30. A former Senior Writer and Editor for National PTA and Marketing and Creative Services Officer for the Institute of International Education (administrators of the U.S. Government's Fulbright Scholar Program), Biddle will oversee NIEA's communications, capture stories about the work of bringing high-quality culturally-based education to Native students and communities; and support the advocacy, research, membership-building, and thought-leadership efforts of NIEA leaders.
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NIEA MEMBER OPPORTUNITY: PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM FELLOWSHIPS
The Peobody Essex Museum offers summer fellowship opportunities for graduate students and cultural professionals of Native American, Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native background. These paid, full-time, 10-week fellowships are designed to prepare participants for management positions in the museum field and/or the nonprofit cultural sector. Deadline is February 25. Learn more at http://www.pem.org/join/fellowships.
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KEEP IN TOUCH WITH NIEA STAFF
Share your stories. Inform us about research and advocacy. Learn more on how to advance education for our Native students.
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