2012-04: Support to include a Doctoral program for USDOE Office of Indian Education Indian Professional Development Grants

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA, as the largest national Indian organization of American Indians, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, there continues to be a tremendous need for well-trained Native school administrators in tribal communities all across the United states, including rural, urban, and reservation communities, and that here are too many school superintendent positions in reservation communities that are filled by non-Indians who do not speak the language, do not know the values and traditions, and tend not to stay on the job for extended periods of time; and

WHEREAS, although significant progress has been made preparing Native administrators at the masters level for school principal positions, there is a need for preparing Native administrators at the doctoral level primarily to serve in the role of superintendent of schools as well as in other fields, and the turnover rate of superintendents in some of these schools is at 60% and over 50% of the individuals serving in the role of superintendents are doing so with an emergency or temporary certificate; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NIEA supports adding language to support a doctoral program within the USDOE Office of Indian Education Indian Professional Development Grants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Native students be encouraged and supported in choosing education administration as a career regardless of where they seek employment.