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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Zuni Teen Urges Involving Tribal Leaders

By Hailey Heinz
Journal Staff Writer
       Tribal elders may not understand the complexities of Justin Lueras' schedule.
    The 17-year-old is a senior at Los Lunas High School who runs track, has a part-time job, is busy applying to colleges and still keeps his grades up. And although Lueras, a member of the Zuni tribe, is careful to be respectful, he said he lives in a world the elders don't fully grasp.
    "Things have changed a lot in the past 20 or 30 years," he said. "Maybe they don't understand how hard it is."
    Lueras was on a four-student panel at a summit Monday that aimed to narrow the achievement gap between American Indian students and their Anglo counterparts. One of Lueras' suggestions was increasing tribal involvement in education. He said tribal leaders should get updates on student grades and progress so they are better able to help.
    Students, educators and policymakers worked in small groups to generate recommendations on how to narrow the gap. The ideas, which ran the gamut from amending the American Indian Education Act to adding mandatory career-track courses in high schools, will be forwarded to the state task force on Indian Education for discussion and possible adoption.
    American Indian students account for 11 percent of school enrollment statewide, and they have a graduation rate of 50 percent compared to 71 percent for Anglos. Their scores in math and reading also lag behind their Anglo counterparts by about 30 percent, depending on grade level.
    The summit was organized by New Mexico First, and Deputy Director Charlotte Pollard said she was pleased with the discussions. "People were really thoughtful in their comments and respectful in their questions," she said. "It seemed like they were really trying to understand each other."
    Monday's summit was the second in a series of three. One was held last month on the needs of black students, and another is scheduled for December that will focus on the Hispanic achievement gap.
    The recommendations will be formally released after the last summit.

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