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APAC presenters outline powwow, nonconcurrences and programming for American Indian students
Summary
District American Indian Education presenters described APAC's decision to submit nonconcurrences this year, announced a Feb. 15 powwow and highlighted programming and professional development needs for American Indian students. Concerns about racial incidents and student retention were raised.
Representatives of the district's American Indian Education program presented to the St. Francis Area Schools board, describing programming, professional development and the group's formal nonconcurrences for the year.
The presenter described the state-created American Indian Education program and the APAC process. "If you have 10 students that identify as American Indian, then you have what's called an APAC," the presenter said, adding that the district's APAC has more than 100 students and therefore is required to have a coordinator. The presenter said the APAC voted at its December meeting to be "nonconcurrent" this year and characterized that as a way to communicate improvement areas to the district rather than a punitive action.
APAC and program staff announced a district powwow scheduled for Feb. 15 at the high school, with grand entry at 1 p.m. and a closing time around 5 p.m. The presenters said they are co-sponsoring the powwow with neighboring districts and listed several partnering communities; they estimated as many as 2,000 attendees and said there is no RSVP requirement. The presenters described vendors, food, performances and multiple drum and dance events planned for the celebration.
Presenters credited recent professional development provided by the district, naming the district's coordinator and liaison who have led training. They also requested more classroom access for American Indian program staff to work both with struggling students and those who are excelling, saying some families choose to move students out of the district because the program lacks more advanced offerings.
Speakers raised concerns about racial incidents in schools and said stronger staff awareness and engagement could help students feel they belong. One parent said the program "helped bring that to the students and help them from the inside out," describing activities such as crafts and cultural projects that support student connection to school.
Presenters highlighted other collaborative work, including a summer program that resulted in a manual identifying native species and cultural language, and an upcoming presentation at a regional event (Bridging Worlds: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Western Science). The presenters closed by directing interested community members to the district's American Indian Education website and local contacts for more information.
The APAC nonconcurrences and the powwow were described in the public presentation; the transcript does not record any formal board actions or votes tied to the APAC nonconcurrences during this meeting.
