Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Improving Outcomes for Native American Students: A Virtual Fireside Chat with Tribal Leaders

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to uplift Tribal voices and celebrate the heritage and contributions of Native Americans in the United States. Please join the California Department of Education (CDE) and me for the online event, “Improving Outcomes for Native American Students,” on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 4 p.m.

Native American/Alaska Native students experience inequitable outcomes at school that have only widened since the pandemic: 36.3 percent of California’s Native American students were chronically absent during the 2022–23 school year. Of Native American students who are homeless or foster youth, only 57 percent graduated in 2021–22. In partnership with Tribal leaders in public education, we will discuss important work that is underway to increase academic achievement, increase graduation rates, and decrease chronic absenteeism for Native American students.

This online gathering is a virtual fireside chat in which Native American leaders in K–12 education will share their expertise as we discuss critical efforts toward promoting the continued success of Native American students in California’s schools. Panelists include:

• Dr. Niki Sandoval (Tribal Affiliation: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash), Senior Strategic Development Manager in the Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation team at WestEd
• Dr. Staci Block (Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee), Native American Model Curriculum Project Lead at the San Diego Office of Education
• Ms. Nicole Lim (Tribal Affiliations: Pomo, Miwok), Executive Director of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center
• Ms. Judy Delgado (Tribal Affiliation: Mountain Maidu-enrolled: Susanville Indian Rancheria), American Indian Education Consultant at the CDE

Please register via Zoom or view the livestream of the event on the CDE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CAEducation/.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction