Sep 15, 2019

Ineffective Department of Indian Education Has Had Considerable Staff Shake-Up Since March 2018


The Department of Indian Education, which exists under a Minnesota legislative mandate, has been a failure in promoting academic achievement among American Indian students in the Minneapolis Public Schools, as indicated by academic proficiency levels, as follows:

 

MPS Academic Proficiency Rates for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, & 2018

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

  

American             23%        19%           19%       16%        17%

Indian

 

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

  

American             21%        20%           21%       22%        23%

Indian

 

Science               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

American             14%        16%           13%       16%        13%

Indian

 

The Department of Indian Education brings special cultural programming to Minneapolis Public Schools sites that have the highest enrollment of American Indian students;  the department also reaches out in family engagement efforts.  But perusal of staff composition indicates why the Department of Indian Education has done nothing to raise academic achievement of Native students.  No staff member in the Department of Indian Education is a high-level subject area specialist. The staff is heavy on social workers, counselors, and engagement specialists but lacks serious academicians.

 

There has been quite a bit of turnover in the Department of Indian Education.  Please peruse the following lists, indicative of new staff since March 2018 and the full lists for March 2018 and September 2019

 

Department of Indian Education Staff in September 2019 New Since March 2018

 

>>>>>  Jennifer Simon, Director

(Cheyenne River Lake)

>>>>>  Diane Leskey, Office Senior Specialist

>>>>>  TBD, Counselor on Special Assignment

>>>>>  TBD, TOSA, Special Education

>>>>>  Anjanette Parisien, District Program Facilitator

(Turtle Mountain)

>>>>>  Shane Thompson, School Success Program Assistant

(Seneca)

 

Also note these unfilled positions  >>>>>

 

>>>>>  TBD, Counselor on Special Assignment

>>>>>  TBD, TOSA, Special Education

>>>>>  TBD, District Program Facilitator

 

Department of Indian Education Staff in March 2018 No Longer in the Department

 

>>>>>   Anna Ross, Director

>>>>>   Terry Bignett, School Success Program Assistant

>>>>>   Tami Johnson, Ida Downwind

>>>>>   Elaine Kopischke, Office Specialist

>>>>>   James Vukelich, School Success Program Assistant

>>>>>   Odia Wood-Krueger, District Program Facilitator

 

Department of Indian Education Staff, September 2019

 

1.  Jennifer Simon, Director

(Cheyenne River Lake)

2.  Diane Leskey, Office Senior Specialist

3.  Jodi Burke, Counselor on Special Assignment

4.  TBD, Counselor on Special Assignment

5.  Tracy Burke, Counselor on Special Assignment

6.  Alicia Garcia, Social Worker

(Taos Pueblo)

7.  Braden Canfield, Social Worker

8.  TBD, TOSA, Special Education

9.  Anjanette Parisien, District Program Facilitator

(Turtle Mountain)

10.  Gary Lussier, District Program Facilitator

(Red Lake)

11.  TBD, District Program Facilitator

12.  Shane Thompson, School Success Program Assistant

(Seneca)

13.  Christine Wilson, Family Engagement Specialist

(White Earth)

14.  Miskwa Mukwa Desjarlait, Youth Engagement Specialist

(Red Lake)

 

(March 2018)  >>>>>

 

Staff Member                                   Position

 

1)           Anna Ross                                            Director
2)            Terrell Bignell                                   School Success  

     Program Assistant

3)            Jodi Burke                                           Counselor on Special

     Assignment

4)            Tracy Burke                                        Counselor on Special

     Assignment

5)            Braden Canfield                               Social Worker
6)            Miskwa-Mukwa Desjarlait          Youth Engagement Specialist

7)            Ida Downwind                                  District Program Facilitator

8)           Alicia Garcia                                        Social Worker
9)            Tami Johnson                                    Counselor on Special

     Assignment

10)          Elaine Kopischke                             Office Specialist
11)          Gary Lussier                                       District Program Facilitator 

12)          James Vukelich                                School Success  

     Program Assistant

13)          Christine Wilson                              Family Engagement Specialist

14)          Odia Wood-Krueger                       District Program Facilitator 

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment