From Deseret News archives:
U. gets Indian education funding
Funds to help boost representation in Utah public schools
The money, which totals $562,714, was presented to the school by the U.S. Department of Education for programs that will help recruit and graduate more American Indian teachers and school administrators.
"It's our responsibility and part of our mission to make sure teachers are fully qualified, and especially from those historically neglected populations," said U.S. Department of Education spokesman David Thomas.
Thomas said such grants are given every year to enhance representation but also to encourage participation in public education from all races.
The university will use one grant of $296,856 to train and certify 10 American Indian secondary math and science teachers. According to Thomas, the proposed program would enable pre-service teachers to complete their bachelor's degrees and become certified to teach in Utah.
A second grant of $265,858 will be used primarily to train and certify 10 American Indian elementary school teachers. The process is anticipated to include a distance-learning teacher training program, including a one-year induction program that will provide services and support to graduates during their first year of teaching.
Lynn Greenwood, curriculum coordinator at the Utah Office of Education, said the office will work cooperatively with the university to implement the process of recruiting and training educators.
"It is very important that they're represented, and having their heritage and all their skills and abilities in our schools would be very helpful," Greenwood said, adding that a few districts in the state already have a healthy representation of Indian teachers and students.
"However, it would be nice to have them represented across the state as well as in those more heavily populated areas of Native Americans," she said. "We'd like to see them across the state in all of our public schools."
The grant is part of the Office of Indian Education's Professional Development program, which trains qualified individuals to become teachers and administrators in Indian communities throughout the country. Nationwide, nine grants totaling $2.9 million were given out to qualified applicants.
E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com
