Native Education Leader and Obama Appointee Tapped to Head Teach For America’s Efforts to Expand Educational Opportunity for Native Students
NEW YORK CITY, August 23, 2010—Teach For America announced today that Robert Cook has been appointed to lead its efforts to expand educational opportunity for Native students as managing director of the organization’s Native Achievement Initiative. In this role, Cook will oversee strategies to grow Teach For America’s impact in school districts serving Native students and to build partnerships with Native organizations and other key stakeholders to improve education across Native communities.
Teach For America launched the Native Achievement Initiative in 2009 to help address the educational disparities that affect Native students. Through this initiative, Teach For America seeks to strengthen efforts to recruit talented teachers for school systems that lack sufficient human capital and increase the number of Teach For America alumni with knowledge of Native issues to lead long-term education reform. As part of the Native Achievement Initiative, Teach For America plans to significantly expand its presence in regions with Native student populations, bringing in additional numbers of talented new teachers.
“Robert is an exceptional leader with a passion to ensure that all Native students receive the high-quality education they deserve,” Kevin Huffman, executive vice president of public affairs at Teach For America. “As we grow our partnerships across Native communities, Robert’s invaluable experience as a Native education leader will be a critical addition to our efforts.”
Cook has served for 20 years as a teacher and administrator in American Indian education. Most recently, he was principal of Pine Ridge High School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
In May, Cook was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, where he will advise Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on federal efforts to improve education for Native children and adults. Additionally, Cook has served as president and board member of the National Indian Education Association (2006-09) and board member of the South Dakota Education Association and South Dakota Indian Education Association.
Cook is the recipient of awards including Teacher of the Year in Little Wound and Lower Brule; South Dakota’s 2005 Milken National Educator; Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation American Indian 2006 Teacher of the Year; and the National Indian Education Association 2006 Teacher of the Year. Additionally, Cook has been named one of Black Hills State University’s 125 Most Accomplished Alumni.
An enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (Oglala Lakota), Cook received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Black Hills State University and a master’s degree in education administration from Oglala Lakota College. He is married to Daphne Richards-Cook, and they have two sons who attend public school in Rapid City, S.D.
About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, more than 8,200 corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country, while more than 20,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excel