NCAI Education Newsletter
January 23, 2012
Edition 4
Table of Contents
First in Series of Four Tribal Leader Education Roundtables Held Last Friday in Rapid City, SD
Over 150 tribal leaders, educators, and community members met in Rapid City, South Dakota, last Friday, January 20, to attend the first in a series of four tribal leader education roundtables hosted by the Departments of the Interior and Education. While comments covered a number of issues, the most frequently topics addressed fell into three broad areas:
1. Increasing support for language programs;
2. Inadequate funding of all Bureau of Indian Education programs; and
3. More direct involvement of tribes in the decision making process.
Please find more detailed notes on what was discussed at the roundtable attached to this email.
Also please find attached testimony submitted by the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association.
Next Three Tribal Leader Education Roundtables to be Held in Norman, OK; Albuquerque, NM; and Seattle, WA Call for Notes and Comments
If you will be attending any of the upcoming Tribal Leader Roundtables, NCAI would greatly appreciate if you would share your notes and comments with us so we can distribute the information to tribal leaders and other stakeholders. Please email your notes to Katie Jones at kjones@ncai.org.
Other Information
At the Rapid City Tribal Leader Roundtable, there were many questions and comments about the Bureau of Indian Education’s administrative expenses. If you would like to raise this issue on behalf of your tribe and would like more information, please click here for the Department of the Interior's Budget Justifications and Performance Information for FY 2011.
Dates and Locations of the Upcoming Roundtables
- January 23, 2012: Norman, OK - Embassy Suites
- January 25, 2012: Albuquerque, NM - Sheraton Uptown
- February 16, 2012: Seattle, WA – TBD
These one day events are open to the public and scheduled opportunities for in-person and teleconference public testimony will be made available. Participants will also be able to submit their testimony via mail or email. The roundtables will also be webcasted.
There is no registration fee for the event. To receive teleconference and webcast information, you may register immediately online at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "r20.rs6.net" claiming to be http://triballeader-roundtables.indianeducation.org/. You will also find on the website the Executive Order 13592, lodging and travel information, and additional reports.
For additional information, contact Ahniwake Rose, Human Resources Policy Director, at arose@ncai.org or 202-466-7767.
Bureau of Indian Education Begins Search for Green Ribbon Schools
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools can now apply for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School program (ED-GRS), which provides national recognition for schools using outstanding environmental programs and techniques.
Interested schools can access the online application on the BIE Green Ribbon School website at: http://www.bie.edu/greenribbonschools/index.htm. Applications are due by February 24, 2012. The BIE will review and select up to four nominees to the ED-GRS. Awardees will be announced in April 2012 and are expected to receive their awards in May 2012.
The BIE joined the recently launched national Green Ribbon School program and launched a nationwide search across Indian Country to find outstanding environmental schools that meet its standards. Many BIE schools are actively saving energy, reducing costs, promoting environmental literacy and providing healthy environments for students, faculty and staff. Those schools will now have the opportunity to be recognized nationally.
States and other education agencies have also been invited to participate in the Green Ribbon Schools program, which is patterned after the long running Blue Ribbon School Program. The new federal program encourages schools to:
· Implement energy conservation measures that pave the way for reduced environmental impact, cost savings, and job creation;
· Undertake environmental and behavioral changes in schools that ensure the health, wellness, and productivity of students, teachers, and staff, and;
· Promote environmental education that supports students’ strong civic skills, environmental stewardship, and workforce preparedness.
As part of this effort to promote a comprehensive approach to creating a healthier school environment in all BIE-funded schools, the Bureau committed to the Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC) initiative in 2010 and encouraged all BIE-funded schools to sign up to become Team Nutrition Schools. The LMIC website (http://www.letsmove.gov/indiancountry) includes information about resources, grants and programs available to assist schools in becoming healthier places of learning.