Chairperson’s Corner
Mark your calendars for the three major MIEA events of 2003-2004! “Your MIEA Board members have been busy with planning activities to help strengthen parent involvement, to discuss the legal perspectives of Indian education and of course planning for our annual conference,” reports Chairperson Carol Juneau. MIEA’s first event will be a statewide Indian Parent Forum October 24-25 in Billings. Next, we will meet in Great Falls for the Montana Indian Education Legal Issues Forum November 9-10, 2003. Then, our annual convention will be held April 1-4, 2004 in Missoula at the Holiday Parkside.
MIEA is growing and there is a need for someone to provide the on-going support for its activities. Therefore, a part-time Executive Secretary position has been established. This position has been recently filled by Patty LaPlant. We hope to see this position promote additional funding for the organization as well as provide a stronger visibility for MIEA in Montana.
In addition, MIEA is now just a “click” away! We have a website that will allow members as well as others to access important Indian Education information at www.MTIEA.org. MIEA is represented on the Montana School Renewal Commission with the recent appointment of Carol Juneau as a member to represent American Indian Education. This is in addition to Robert Murray, at-large member from Poplar. It is important for MIEA to collaborate and participate in other statewide educational activities: MIEA will participate in the MEA Convention with Wilhemina Wright as the representative. Denise Juneau will represent MIEA to OPI’s Professional Educator Preparation Standards and Procedures (PEPPS) committee. Also, a Special Purposes Schools Task Force has been created by the Board of Public Education and Thomas Brown will be MIEA’s representative. MIEA also has a position on MACIE (Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education) with Carol Juneau serving in this capacity.
It will be a busy, but productive year for MIEA and you can be proud of your Board of Directors for their commitment to Indian Education in Montana.
As we begin the new school year, we extend our best wishes to all the students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and other school personnel who work with our Indian Students in Montana. We all need to strive for the success of each individual student and promote an educational system that will meet the intent of 20-1-501 as well as providing opportunities to allow more of our Indian students to reach the goal of high school graduation.
Carol Juneau, Chairperson