Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education annual report, 2013

              OKLAHOMA ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INDIAN EDUCATION
(70 o.s. § 3-173 (OSCN 2010), Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education Act)
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2013
December 19, 2013
The Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education (OACIE) has recently completed their meetings for the calendar year ending 2013. This report will cover the yearly report and the recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
We have approximately 130,000 Native American Students in our Oklahoma Schools.
Current members
Current members for the OACIE are as follows: Members representing tribes as appointed by the Governor’s office – Mr. Greg Anderson, Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Ms. Lori Hamilton, Chickasaw Nation; Ms. Lisa John, Chickasaw Nation; Jana Roth, Delaware Tribe; Members representing Tribal Education Departments as appointed by the Governor’s office – Ms. Mary McCormick, Sac & Fox Nation; Mr. Jim Parrish, (Chair 2013), Choctaw Nation; Mrs. Judy Davis, Miami Tribe; Jack Shadwick, Ottawa Tribe: Members representing the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education as appointed by the Governor’s office – Ms. Lucyann Harjo (Vice Chair 2013), Coordinator of Indian Education, Norman Public Schools; Members representing statewide teacher organizations, Ms. Esther Bell, Shawnee, OK; Mr. Paul Pinkerton, Stillwell, OK; Member representing statewide organization for school superintendents, Mr. Tom Crimmins, Elgin Public Schools; Member representing Oklahoma Tribal Colleges, President Robert Bible, College of the Muscogee Nation; Representing the Native American Cultural & Education Authority, Nancy Fields; Representing the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology, Dr. Joe Robinson; Representing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Matt Higdon, Field Coordinator for Student Preparation. At this time, the Council has not received word from Governor Mary Fallin’s Office of the nominee for the open appointment for a member representing tribes.
Purpose
The purpose of the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education Act is to recognize the unique relationship that Oklahoma enjoys with the Indian tribes located within the state and how Native Americans and Indian tribes play a pivotal role in the educational system of the state in light of this special relationship. The further purpose of the act is to establish the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education. The purpose of creating the Council is to promote culturally relevant learning environments, educational opportunities and instructional material for Native American students enrolled in the public schools of the state. Because of the number of Native American students enrolled in public schools in our state, this objective will positively affect the educational success of all public school students and encourage further government-to-government cooperation between the State of Oklahoma and the sovereign Indian Tribes in Oklahoma.