School-of-Thought

Later this month, representatives from the Associated School Board’s of South Dakota (ASBSD) will gather in Pierre to debate policy positions we believe are important for education in our state.  One of the new positions concerns Indian Education.  I’ve reprinted the position in full from the ASBSD site: 

South Dakota’s public education system, for all its successes, consistently struggles to serve American Indian students.  A range of statistical indicators reveal persistent and dramatic achievement gaps between American Indian students and their peers, depriving a significant portion of South Dakota’s children with an equal opportunity to claim a more prosperous personal, social and economic future. 

All students can face barriers to learning, but many of South Dakota’s American Indian children are surrounded by a concentrated and generationally pervasive poverty that jeopardizes an individual’s health, safety and personal belief in the value of education.   

ASBSD believes all students can learn and achieve. South Dakota’s American Indian students deserve the attention of state, local and tribal leaders who are willing to deliver on the promise of public education.  South Dakotans must work toward solutions while embracing the pride, heritage and dignity of American Indian culture. 

ASBSD supports South Dakota’s recent efforts to make Indian education a priority, including the official creation of a state Indian education director within the Department of Education. ASBSD encourages state policies that foster collaboration and establish long-term commitments to improving educational outcomes for American Indian students. 

While grant funding can be a powerful incentive, state leaders must recognize that effective programs deserve reliable funding streams. ASBSD believes state aid formula funding needs to address the unique learning challenges of at-risk students to allow local districts to better serve American Indian students through instructional strategies focused on student results. 

What do you think?