Oklahoma Advisory Council for Indian Education Meeting

The Oklahoma Advisory Council for Indian Education's Feb. 13 meeting has been rescheduled. The Council will meet at 10 a.m. Feb. 19, 2013, at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

 Click here to read the agenda.

The Council held its last quarterly meeting on Thursday Nov. 8, 2012, at the Comanche Nation Tribal Complex in Lawton, OK.

Highlights from the meeting include:

Report on NIEA

Chairman Ray Rodgers spoke about the National Indian Education Association Conference, saying he attended mostly higher education workshops. He gave statistics on the number of high school students who go on to higher education and the huge percentage that don’t make it to graduation. Board Member Mary McCormick gave an overview of her attendance and asked that the conference program be given to Council members and State Department of Education employees as a resource. Board Member Greg Anderson expressed gratitude for Oklahoma’s image among national Indian education leaders. Board Member Jim Parrish said he learned a lot at the conference mostly on native languages. Chair Rodgers urged the Council to share the good work of Oklahoma programs that are now taking place. Mrs. McCormick said she was pleased with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) leadership and wanted the Council to hear from them at some point. Oklahoma is a hub and the center of Indian Country that should be highlighted among national Indian education programs, she said.

OU Awarded Grant for Indian Education Focus

Jacob Tsotigh announced the University of Oklahoma has been awarded a grant for the South Central Regional Comprehensive Center, which will have Indian education as one of its priorities for the next five years. Chair Rodgers suggested the Council might meet at the University of Oklahoma hosted by South Central Comprehensive Center. 

Statement Against Realignment of BIE

Mr. Anderson commented on upcoming realignment of the BIE that might close the offices in Oklahoma City and Muskogee. Chair Rodgers asked Mr. Anderson to draft a resolution, which puts the Council on record as being against such realignment. Mr. Anderson said he would forward a letter that might be submitted individually by Council members that the BIE continue to operate an office in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Conferences

Chair Rodgers announced the National Johnson O’Malley Conference would be in Oklahom. The Oklahoma Council for Indian Education (OCIE) Conference was in Tulsa on Dec. 5-6, 2012.

Update on Native Language Competencies

Board Member Dwight Pickering gave a report on the progress of the Native Language Committee, which will make recommendations on the certification process for native language instructors. The Committee includes superintendents, public school teachers, tribal language program directors, university instructors, and Indian education directors. The Committee met three times and will complete its work and forward recommendations to the State Board of Education. Mr. Parrish explained the recommendations would be forwarded to the Governor’s office for review and change of policy. He said he was pleased with the composition of the Committee and the work that was derived as a result of the Indian Education Task Force.

Update on OACIE Open Positions

Mr. Pickering met with Jacque Secondine Hensley, Governor Fallin’s Tribal Liaison, and heard what the process will be for replacement of members who have resigned. The deadline for applications was Monday, Nov. 12, and the Governor was to make her recommendations on three positions that were open. Mrs. McCormick suggested Jana Roth would make a good candidate.  Chair Rodgers mentioned that he met with Ms. Hensley and that she understood what the process was and that the Governor was making due diligence to move the process forward. Mr. Parrish gave an overview of who made recommendations from which agency.  Mr. Pickering said the Governor’s office was looking at the attendance information for the Council meetings and that could be a factor in soliciting candidates for the Council.

Report on Interim Study – Funding for SDE Indian Education Office

Mr. Tsotigh gave an overview of the efforts being made through the Legislature that would appropriate funding for additional components of the State Department of Education’s Indian Education Office.

Distribute 2012 Legislative and Budget Process Overview

Chair Rodgers gave information on the Legislative Review Process for the potential of Indian education legislation.  He distributed copies of a handout developed by the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

School Grade Card, Report on Schools with High Indian Student Populations

Members discussed School A-F Report Cards, with some members expressing relief over the release of the report card while others want to see changes and more input from school districts and practitioners before future report cards are released. Mr. Pickering said he reviewed the demographics of districts and did not find any significant concern for particular tribal jurisdictions. There is now a breakdown of demographics on the report cards on the State Department of Education’s website. Oklahoma City and Tulsa have the largest Indian student populations. Board Member Lucyann Harjo said the Oklahoma City metro area has over 14,000 Indian students in school districts. 

Recommend the OACIE Needs to Adopt Recommendations

Mrs. McCormick encouraged the Council to submit recommendations at every meeting to State Superintendent Janet Barresi and the State Board of Education. She asked for the Council’s help in formulating recommendations especially as they relate to culture. She said students must be able to read and write, and she remarked on the need for students taking remedial courses out of high school, which is a duplication of what they should have learned before getting to higher education. Mrs. McCormick said students need more discipline. She said not all students needed a college education. Some are prepared for a career rather than higher education. She made comments on the need for special education programs for Indian students. She also encouraged students to become involved in extracurricular activities for their health and well-being. She said students need to learn to be respectful. She said teachers need to receive the bulk of local resources. She asked if the Council had passed five resolutions that needed to be forwarded on to the State Board of Education. She remarked that the Council should invite members of the Board of Education to attend future Council meetings. She said Council members should submit their stories so others might learn from them. She urged the Council to act in a timely manner to meet deadlines. She asked for national speakers to be invited to come to Oklahoma.

Approval of Annual Report for OACIE

Chair Rodgers encouraged members to submit comments to him to be included in his annual report to be given to the State Board of Education at the board’s Dec. 19 meeting.  Mr. Anderson asked if the members might review the following items:

a.     Hosting NIEA

b.     School Report Card

       i.     State that the Council has heard from Michael Flory

ii.   Need outside representation/practitioners - educators

c.     Membership of OACIE 

       i.     Need clarification of qualification

d.     Website link that includes updates and information on Council

e.      Resolution supporting the Interim Study

       i.     Appropriation requests

f.      Resolution supporting the Native Language Certification

g.     Support native language instruction in public schools

h.     Reviewed state standards for social studies

i.      Resolution to support more cultural curriculum in classrooms

Election of Officers for 2013

Jim Parrish was elected unanimously to serve as Chairman for 2013. Lucyann Harjo was elected to serve as Vice-Chair. Jacob Tsotigh will serve again as Recording Secretary.

Selection of Quarterly Meeting Dates for 2013

Meetings for this year were set for:

February 13, Oklahoma State Department of Education

April 10, State Capitol

July 10, Muscogee Nation College

October 9, University of Oklahoma.