Teachers in Oklahoma recently walked out of classrooms to plead for more funding
TULSA, Okla.-Teachers of Native American students were among those frustrated and disappointed by the results of the recent teacher walk-out in Oklahoma to demand better pay and increased education funding. While teachers, parents and administrators had hoped for state lawmakers to pass bills providing $3.3 billion, the bills generated a $479 million increase.
Factoring for inflation, since 2008, Oklahoma has decreased the per pupil funding by 28 percent and teacher salaries are lower than any other state.
About 16 percent, or 130,000, of Oklahoma students are Native American, the largest percentage in the United States.
According to Cherokee Nation principal chief, Bill John Baker, despite the problems, Cherokee and other Native students continue to lead the nation in math and reading scores.
However, Native students have a drop-out rate twice the national average and are more than twice as likely to be disciplined than their non-Native peers. Education experts are calling the state of education for Native American children a national crisis. When the United States signed its treaties with the 39 federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma, these treaties promised to provide education to Native children into perpetuity.
So how is the state with the largest Native American population and the deepest cuts to education serving Native kids?
One of the bills lawmakers passed to generate revenue is the ball and dice bill, which would allow Vegas-style gaming and betting in tribal casinos and generate an estimated $22 million in revenue for education.
While the state's contribution to public education has decreased, Native nations have been upping their antes.
Tribes pay exclusivity fees for gaming, which has led to a tribal contribution of $133.9 million in 2017, with 88 percent of revenue going to public education. Tribes also often take care of their kids by donating additional funds or raising money to meet needs.
So far in 2018, Cherokee Nation has contributed $5.4 million to 108 school districts in the state from car tags and gave a $10,000 annual raise to certified teachers at the tribe's own Sequoyah High School and Cherokee Immersion school.
"Over the past decade the state of Oklahoma has made drastic budget cuts to public education. At the same time, the responsibilities of teachers continue to increase exponentially . . . Cherokee Nation is unwavering in its commitment to public schools, students and teachers," says Baker. "This pay increase reaffirms that commitment and, I hope, sends a message to state leaders that they should follow Cherokee Nation's lead and raise pay for all certified teachers in the state."
Baker is also optimistic about the prospect of the federal Johnson-O'Malley Program (JOM), which which was first implemented in 1934 to provide books, fees, equipment and other educational necessities for children.
"Successful JOM programs instill tribal pride in our youngest citizens and incorporate unique tribal culture and heritage lessons in the base education curriculum," Baker explained.
"At Cherokee Nation, we strive to ensure every Indian child in our 14-county service area receives the educational opportunities they deserve. We serve more than 26,000 students in 71 schools. As we add more students and schools every year, the JOM per student allocation keeps dwindling. Sadly, federal funding has been frozen since 1995 and capped at 278,000 students nationally. Indian Country has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade. American Indians are one of the fastest-growing populations in America, according to U.S. Census data, and I am sure the upcoming census will reflect a sustained growth rate. . . At Cherokee Nation, our JOM dollars used to be about $125 per student. Today, it's a little more than $35 per student. Cherokee Nation will continue to fight for continued funding of the JOM program."
This program is in desperate need of increased funding, not elimination."
Baker encourages all Native tribe members to urge congressional leaders to continue supporting the JOM program.
"Let them know every Indian child deserves an education that meets his or her needs. We want our Cherokee youth to become everything God intended for them," Baker says. "The testing shows what our children can do with decreased money. Just think of the possibilities if we kept our promises to our youth and fully funded their educational experiences."
