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American Indian parent advisory council delivers nonconcurrence resolution, asks Red Wing district for liaisons, tutoring and Dakota language plan
Summary
The American Indian Parent Advisory Council told the Red Wing Public School District it cannot concur with current programming and requested dedicated Native liaisons, expanded tutoring, Dakota language instruction K–12, improved bus safety measures and annual disaggregated data; the board accepted receipt and will transmit the resolution under Minnesota Statute §124D.78.
Jasmine Fiddler, president of the American Indian Parent Advisory Council, told the Red Wing Public School District board that the committee voted a resolution of nonconcurrence and presented a package of recommendations the district must address.
"Until our Native American students are succeeding at or above the same level of our non‑Native peers or making specific progress toward that, we cannot confidently submit a vote of concurrence at this time," Fiddler told the board during the committee's presentation. The resolution, read for the record, asked the district to immediately add dedicated Native American education liaisons for all students, plan for additional staffing up to a director‑level position, and start tutoring targeted to Native American students, including those with IEPs.
The council also urged the district to prioritize language revitalization by providing Dakota language learning from early childhood through high school, to enhance bus safety and service collaboration with transportation staff, and to make annual assessment data available disaggregated by ethnicity (graduation rates, discipline, special education, math and reading assessments and MCA results).
During discussion board members acknowledged an achievement gap the district is tracking and described existing working relationships with the advisory council. The board accepted receipt of the notice of nonconcurrence and indicated staff and board representatives would sign and transmit the resolution to the state; the presentation noted Minnesota Statute §124D.78 (subd. 2) requires the board to respond in writing within 60 days in cases of nonconcurrence.
Superintendent and staff said they are in ongoing conversations with the council and would work to develop specific responses to each recommendation and present the district's formal response as the statute requires. The board scheduled the resolution for formal presentation at the April regular meeting and directed staff to prepare next steps.
What happens next: the district must prepare a written response addressing each recommendation within the statutory period; the board recorded its acceptance of the advisory council's notice at the meeting.
