Seeking Native Teachers

Northwest programs recruit and train indigenous instructors

By Joyce Riha Linik

Spring 2004

A teacher trainee in the PITAS program goes berry-picking with students at Auke Lake in Juneau.

"As a child, I never had an American Indian teacher," reveals Az Carmen, descendant of the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes and now coordinator of Native American enrollment services at the University of Oregon.

Unfortunately, Carmen's experience is not unique.

In the Northwest—where Native students represent anywhere from 1.3 percent to one-fourth of the elementary and secondary school population, depending on the state—Native instructors make up smaller fractions of the teaching force. Nationally, they account for less than 1 percent of all teachers. In Alaska, where Native educators are more prevalent, they still represent less than 5 percent of the total while Native students fill 25 percent of the seats in the state's classrooms. And even on Indian reservations and in remote Alaska villages, the majority of teachers come from outside the Native community.

Well-meaning as these outsiders may be, the situation is less than ideal for Native students who suffer from the lowest high school completion rates in the nation. The research suggests—and common sense tells us—these students might benefit significantly from having like role models to guide them, as well as access to more culturally sensitive and culturally relevant instruction.

As a result, efforts are under way across the Northwest to increase the numbers of American Indian and Alaska Native teachers serving in schools with high populations of Native youth.

Taking Steps in Oregon

At the University of Oregon, a program called Sapsik'wala—Sahaptian for "teacher"—was instituted in 2002 to recruit, train, and mentor American Indian teachers. The program, funded by U.S. Department of Education grants totaling approximately $1.7 million, was developed as a partnership between the College of Education and nine federally recognized tribes in the state: Coos, Coquille, Grand Ronde, Klamath, Siletz, Siuslaw, Umatilla, Umpqua, and Warm Springs. The program's goal: to increase the number of Native teachers with the cultural sensitivity and training necessary to help lower dropout rates and raise test scores for Native students.

Candidates selected for the program receive tuition and fees, a monthly stipend, and a book allowance, provided they commit to teaching in a school with a high concentration of Indian students after receiving their degree.

The stipend is designed to cover living expenses such as child care, explains Carmen, since many Native students are older and have family responsibilities to juggle with coursework. This provision was included on the advice of the tribal consortium, Carmen says, and is especially important because "Native people know that if you're thinking about their children, then you're concerned about their welfare."

Other important elements of the program include a weekly seminar on Native education issues, as well as the use of Native mentors and the implementation of a cohort model.

"We provide support," explains Sapsik'wala program director Pat Rounds, "because we know it's important to getting these trainees through the program and keeping them as teachers." She notes that 50 percent of all teachers entering the profession leave within three years.

Support mechanisms are especially important for these students, not simply because of the pressures every new teacher faces on the job, but because of the unique expectations placed on Native instructors. Often, as minorities on staff, Native teachers report that they are expected to serve as spokespeople and provide "the Native American perspective." This, they say, is an impossible role to fulfill, given the vast number of tribes and varying cultures. Additionally, some individuals may feel uncomfortable being forced into the spotlight in this way.

If students in the program need guidance, they can turn to Shadiin Garcia, a Laguna Pueblo and coordinator of student support services, who serves as a Native mentor for the program. They can also turn to their program cohorts. "We want to get them thinking as a community," Rounds says. "We want them to think of going to each other for problem solving."

Connections forged in the program can serve participants beyond graduation. As grads head separate ways for teaching positions, they can still connect with their former colleagues via a new online support program called "Tapped In."

Laurie Evans, a student in the program, says she and her colleagues have benefited from both the mentoring and cohort approach: "Natives work by community for the most part, so it's been very positive."

In the program's first year, one student earned a master's degree in education. This year, 16 more will join the ranks.

Opening Doors in Montana

Near Billings, Montana, where Crow and Northern Cheyenne students outnumber Native teachers by 54 to one, Montana State University's Bighorn Teacher Projects are opening doors for American Indians who dream of teaching. Since 1999, more than $4 million in government grants has been funneled into four Native teacher education projects: Three target Crow and Northern Cheyenne students, while one program helps Bureau of Indian Affairs school employees who are seeking credentials in special education.

To date, the Bighorn Teacher Projects have helped 16 American Indian teachers obtain their degrees and find teaching positions. Another 33 are now in the program, thanks to the help of scholarships, stipends, and other support.

"We provide tutoring and mentoring by a master teacher—an Indian teacher, whenever possible," says Reno Charette, Bighorn project director. "And we send students to conferences sponsored by the National Indian Education Association, the Montana Indian Education Association, and the Montana Federation of Teachers. We try to get them professionally networked before they're out of the program."

The Comprehensive System of Personnel Development project also relies on a cohort model to provide extra support for students and offers monthly seminars on Native education issues. For example, an upcoming seminar focuses on multiculturalism. Specifically, Charette says, they'll discuss the cultural differences that often exist between Native teachers' home and community environments and those they'll encounter as educational professionals in the school and larger non-Native community.

Charette compares this transition to a "doorway"—a resonant symbol in Native culture—through which Indians must learn to consciously walk back and forth. For example, she says, a Native woman may defer to her father-in-law as head of household at home, avoiding excessive eye contact, and not being confrontational out of respect. At school, she may be forced to confront a male principal, using direct eye contact, being assertive, and stating her needs precisely. Charette says, "I try to get them to understand that they are not sacrificing their value system (by this change in behavior), it is just a necessity for contemporary living."

Reaching Out in Alaska

In Alaska, a program called Preparing Indigenous Teachers for Alaska Schools (PITAS) has grown out of the need to curb dropout rates and provide more culturally relevant instruction while addressing a shortage of qualified teachers and extremely high turnover rates in rural communities. Based at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the program seeks to develop Native teachers who not only have the training and experience necessary to help Native students succeed, but who are also more likely to stay long term in rural assignments.

"If you're from a rural area, that's your home—the mountains, hills, streams," says Rhonda Hickok, PITAS project manager. "Your sense of belonging is strong, you have a network that's supportive already, and it's more likely you'll want to stay there."

The PITAS program, now in its third year, has helped two students obtain master's degrees with the aid of scholarships and other support. There are now 36 students in the program working toward bachelor's degrees.

Hickok explains that the program relies heavily on mentor teachers who recruit high school students interested in becoming teachers. These mentors meet with students throughout the year, provide them with information on joining the profession, and help them hone their study skills in preparation for college. A two-week summer institute at the university gives students a chance to experience campus life, become familiar with support services, and participate in bonding activities with faculty and other Native students on the same career path. This kind of induction and ongoing support is especially important, Hickok notes, because the transition to university life can be a shock for any student, especially those from tiny, remote villages in the far reaches of Alaska.

Other Factors at Play

Rising Native enrollment figures and graduation rates show these programs are making a difference. But there's a long road ahead and the path is not without obstacles. One unanticipated challenge involves the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In a recent study by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory on how the legislation affects small, rural, and isolated schools, administrators and teachers in the region listed among their top concerns quality teacher recruitment and training, as well as educational requirements for paraprofessionals.

Under NCLB, Title I school instructors must have state certification, a bachelor's degree, and demonstrate subject area competency. Paraprofessionals must have at least two years of postsecondary education or a high school diploma with proof of passing a formal state or local academic assessment.

The increased educational qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals are proving to be difficult challenges for some districts, due to financial and logistical constraints. For example, in Alaska, 100 schools have three or fewer teachers; about a third of these employ just one instructor. To expect these teachers to be qualified experts in multiple content areas seems unrealistic.

Additionally, many longtime Native paraeducators don't have the formal credentials now required, though they provide critical links to the community and its culture. Expecting them to take the time and expense to meet the requirements may be unrealistic as well.

Administrators are working hard to find creative solutions to these problems. Some districts are offering seminars to help teachers prepare for subject area competency tests or providing signing bonuses in an attempt to prevent qualified teachers from taking positions elsewhere. To keep valued paraeducators, districts are looking for ways to bring college credit courses on-site and seeking funding for tuition reimbursement.

So hope lives on.

Carmen says she may have missed out on having an American Indian teacher as a child, "but it has to start somewhere. So we start with what is most elemental: our children. My hope is that in the next 10 to 15 years, we will see more Indian principals and vice principals and superintendents."

And perhaps Carmen's own daughter will help realize that vision. Now a master's candidate in the Sapsik'wala program, she's well on her way.

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