Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1977)
WARM SPRINGS, OREGON MAY 13, 1977 PAGE 5 New Superintendent Has Demonstrated Concern For Warm Springs to is m a al id a is b- 50 S. et m ij- er si- in an A )n as >r- ht •e- he ad ai- tly all ed 29 ng i e iis irk ith ret do wn ihn ep- n. get ne- gs,; ork on rity :ial one i is I the the SC*, ted Oto While assistant and then acting superintendent for the Jefferson County 509-J School District, Darrell Wright has kept an ear open to Warm Springs. Now that he has been chosen as the new superintend ent, taking the place of George Bowers who resigned in Feb- ruary, Wright intends to work with the Tribal Education Committee and parent advisory committees to address this community’s concerns. In recent years, Wright has been filling seats on both the Johnson-O’Malley and Title IV parent committees which moni tor and evaluate the programs made possible by those funds. Wright has also been the chief school district contact for the Title IV Part B Teacher Intern Program at the high school. He helped develop the project when the funds were first awarded to the Tribes. In 1972 Wright worked with Deni Leonard on the feasibility study which led to the North west Reading and Language Program in the Warm Springs and Simnasho grade schools. Materials developed as a result of this are presently being field tested by the Northwest Reg- ional Education Lab. More recently Darrell Wright participated in the Ore gon Indian Education Confer ence in Salem, April 27-29, where he presented 509-J’s Ti tle IV tutoring program. He has also taken an ac tive interest in the proposal now before the School Board for collaborative action plan ning between the Tribes and the School District. “I’m in favor of collaborative planning as a concept. The idea is really exciting and essential for getting the cooperation we Meetings For long time there have been meetings of many men for many days. At the meetings there is talking talking talking. Some this way Some that way. In the. morning when my father leaves for meeting he says to us "When I come here again then I will know if it is best to have many sheep or few sheep, to use the land or let it sleep," But when my father comes home from meeting he does not know which talking-way to follow. Tonight when my father came home from meeting he just sat, looking and looking My mother gave him coffee and bread and mutton but my father just sat, looking. Then my mother spoke to me She said, "A meeting is like rain. When there is little talk, now and then here and there it is good. It makes thoughts grow as little rains make corn grow. But big talk, too much, is like flood taking things of longstanding . before it." My mother said this to me, but I think she wanted my father to hear it. (From LITTLE JiERDER IN THE SPRING by Ann Clark) need,” said Wright. However he feels that the Tribal Council and School Board may want to make some modifications to cut down on cost and adapt the model which has been used elsewhere more specifically to Warm Springs and 509-J. Wright commented on dis trict support of special pro grams for Indians by saying, “The school district should in clude as much in its general budget as is necessary for the success of the students.” Any special needs of Indian stud ents are best met with the federal funds that are avail able, he said. When Title IV Part A funds were threatened to be cut this year, however, Wright was in favor of the district budget absorbing the Title IV positions that had to be dropped. Tribal Education Director Jody Calica remarked when asked about the choice of a Superintendent, “I am very encouraged at the thought.” He went on to say, “The commun ity has been able to develop a pretty close working relation ship with Darrell.” Wright has been with the 509-J district for 20 years. He started as a music teacher in the elementary school in 1957 and later became vice princi pal and then principal of Mad ras Grade School. He then took the job of junior high principal and was hired as assistant superintend ent in 1970. After being appointed act ing superintendent, Wright was considered for the superintend ency along with 50 other appli cants. The School Board made its decision after second inter views with the two finalists on May Indian Education Conference For the second year in a row people from all over the state gathered in Salem to discuss the subject of Indian education. This time the com mon interests were crystalized in an organization—the Oregon Indian Education Association— and plans were made to hold the third annual conference at Kah-Nee-Ta. The new association is headed up by former Warm Springs Tribal Education Di rector Morrie Jiminez. Jody ' Calica, who currently occupies that position iff Warm, Springs, has been recommended for a slot on the OIEA Board of Directors. Several people from Warm Springs—school staff, commit tee members and even a stud ent—attended all or part of the conference which focused on Title IV, or the Indian Educa tion Act. Participants received good news from the D.C. office. Lee Antell, director of Title IV nationwide, informed the group that Title IV funds which had been cut 30 percent have been restored for school year 1977- 78. However, commented Cali- ca, “the future of Title IV after 1978 is questionable.” In School District 509-J Ti- tie IV Part A provides for counselors and tutoring for In Focuses on Title IV dian students at all levels and a community liaison at the high school. Darrell Wright, newly se- lected superintendent of 509-J, sat on a panel which discussed tutoring programs, He com- mented later on the diversity of programs through the state, some of which employ students while others are intended as cultural enrichment. Tutoring in 509-J is done by both certi fied and non-certified teachers for the purpose of improving the basic skills of remedial students and challenging ad vanced students. Pat Sanders, teacher aide at the Warm Springs grade school, also remarked on the variety of ways in which Title IV funds can be spent. She sees the need for greater fam iliarity with all parts of the Indian Education Act as well as other funds available to Indians so that they can be used to full advantage. Other needs that Pat dis covered as the result of the Salem conference were greater involvement of parents and students in the parent commit tees and the development of bicultural as well as bilingual curriculum. Jody Calica found the con ference to be quite beneficial in that “it gave us access to people who are more know ledgeable about programs, al lowing us to do better planning and evaluating of programs we’re involved with.” Calica also received assis tance while he was there on a proposal he’s writing for Title IV Part B funds “to meet the social and emotional needs of Indian students through a school social work program.” An extension of the counseling and liaison programs, a social work staff would provide com munity-based, family-oriented assistance beyond the school centered work with students and parents that exists now. The Education Department is also considering application for funds under Part C of Title IV which provides for adult educating. Also contributing to the Salem conference were Muni cipal Manager Rudy Clements, who gave a rousing keynote address, and Dakotah Soules, director of early childhood edu cation in Warm Springs, who discussed the Head Start and Day Care programs on the reservation. fi Lillie Heath’s group entertained the Sunday afternoon crowd at Kah-Nee-Ta village on May 8. Tina Spino, Celia Berry and Kathy Danzuka performed the Butterfly dance to the accompaniment of Lillie and Ellen Squiemphe^. The money they earned from Kah-Nee-Ta will go toward funding the HeHe huckleberry feast in‘August. (“So we can buy huckleberries,” Ellen joked.) CDS Photo
