For More Information:
NEA Communications: 202 822-7200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2001

News Release

American Indian Education on the Upswing

NEA and NIEA Briefing Reveals Hope Despite Dire Need

Washington, D.C.- The nation's 500,000 American Indian students hold the highest drop-out rates and the lowest college completion rates of any American group, but overall, their educational status is moving in the right direction, according to a panel of experts hosted November 8 by the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA).

"The status is challenging, but hopeful," said Octaviana Trujillo, director of the American Indian Education Center at Arizona State University. Linda Sue Warner, chief executive officer of the Indian Community School of Milwaukee, agreed, explaining that the optimism comes from having "more and more opportunity to self-determine what American Indian education should be."

Ninety percent of American Indian children attend public schools, but represent fewer than one percent of the K-12 public school population. The other 10 percent attend 171 schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), most of which are managed by tribal councils or tribal school boards. The only other schools financed and operated by the federal government are Department of Defense schools, which are well-run and produce high achievement.

The poverty and unique status of Indian students create many special needs, panelists said.

Several participants described the paramount need to build school curricula around Indian students' culture and language, not vice versa, particularly because American schooling has a long history of misuse as a vehicle to destroy Indian culture and language.

Steve Anderson, chair of NEA's American Indian/Alaska Native Caucus, is of Seminole descent but learned little of this background as he grew up, creating a rebellious, troubled youngster. "It's about disconnect and loss of identity, of affiliation," he explained.

Panelist David Beaulieu recently stepped down as director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Indian Education in Washington, D.C. He described high teacher turnover rates, the need to integrate the agendas and approaches to American Indians among the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Health and Human Services, and Justice, and the priority need for school contruction.

"They say that Indian school districts are a collection of buildings in danger of becoming a shantytown," Beaulieu said.

The Bush administration and Congress recently approved $292.5 million for Indian school contruction, and $504 million for schools funded by BIA in the Interior Department. But according to a recent General Accounting Office report, at least $1 billion is needed to address the safety and repair work needed on BIA schools.

Tarajean Yazzie, a doctoral student at the Harvard School of Education and a former pre-K Navajo teacher, said NEA could help the community by developing and advocating for research on American Indians.

For his part, Kerry Bird, president of the NIEA, said he is taking a "wait and see" approach regarding the Bush administration. "But why should we wait for the Administration? We should be taking our agenda to them."

NEA and NIEA organized the forum on American Indian education, in part, to honor American Indian Heritage Month. "We want to underscore the importance and value of these students, as well as their unique status and needs," said Bob Chase, NEA president. "In our desire to help all children succeed, we need to develop strategies to ensure that Indian students are not overlooked in our quest for quality public education."

# # #
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.