Secretary of Interior, study group visit Laguna Pueblo school

Greg Sorber/Albq Journal

A deteriorating building, the difficulty of recruiting and retaining teachers and the importance of maintaining a tribal identity while providing challenging classes were all issues U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell heard about Wednesday during a visit to Laguna Pueblo Elementary School. Jewell said it was her “first opportunity to see an Indian school directly” since she was sworn in as Interior secretary last April. Jewell was accompanied by a number of people with expertise in various education-related fields, who came together as part of the American Indian Education Study Group. They also attended a roundtable discussion with principals from other tribal schools. Assembled by Jewell and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the study group is charged with recommending improvements to Native American education. The group is also looking at how new educational reforms and Common Core standards will affect tribal schools. “Indian education is not like a regular public school system because it covers the entire country. So how do we deliver what’s right for students and do it in a way that provides academic rigor, but also supports the unique interests of each tribe?” Jewell asked...more