Turning Around A School by Incorporating Students' Tribal Identities Into the School Day

CarolynPhenicie writes a hopeful piece at The Seventy Four about a school in Heart Butte, Montana on the Blackfeet Tribal Reservation that is poised for turnaround. The Principal is committed the idea that better incorporating students' tribal identity into the curriculum will them to overcome difficulties and help to turn the ship.

“My vision is simple: I just want a much better school,” Hirst said.

Creating that much better school —  the key to breaking a cycle of poverty for Heart Butte’s children that has persisted for generations — will be no easy task. Money is tight, good teachers are hard to recruit, and the town’s isolation means many of the social safety net resources available elsewhere are missing here.