BIE Director Page

"It has been a hectic three months since I assumed the position of Interim Director of the Bureau of Indian Education, filled with tasks and activities that will determine the future of our organization. We have developed a three-year plan to utilize Educational Enhancement Funds from our budget to develop educational leadership opportunities for our principals, provide summer, professional development institutes for our teachers focused on improving reading and math instruction, a BIE READS initiative designed to increase K- 3 reading proficiency in selected schools and the Math Now project to increase math instruction in our schools. We believe these projects will enhance the educational offerings to our students in both BIE and tribally operated schools.

In addition to the afore-mentioned projects, BIE is developing a joint program with BIA's Office of Justice Services to provide educational opportunities to American Indian youth detained in OJS Youth Correction facilities. This effort is designed to provide tutoring to these students while they are detained, and lessen the negative impact incarceration may have on their educational development. Also, we have implemented the Operation Safe and Secure Schools (OSASS) Task Force, a combined effort of BIE, OJS and BIA's Office of Indian Services. The first meeting of this task force was held in October, and I fully expect this collaboration of our agencies will result in strategies to make our schools and dorms a safer and more secure learning environment for our children.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Chemawa and Riverside Indian schools and to get a personal perspective of the issues affecting administrators, staff and students at our off-reservation boarding schools. This knowledge will be essential in developing programs to meet the educational and security needs of our students. In addition, BIE conducted the first meeting of the North/South Dakota Working Group in Rapid City, S.D., on October 30-31. This group was created by the settlement agreement on the BIE reorganization lawsuit, and is designed to encourage dialogue between BIE and the North/South Dakota tribes on issues of educational importance to both parties. A similar work group is also included in the settlement agreements between BIE and the Navajo Nation and BIE and the Eight Northern Pueblos of New Mexico."