Addressing the Native American Teacher Crisis

TDr. William Holmeshe teacher shortage crisis has reached devastating proportions in Native American communities, where turnover rates are five times the national average and some reservations operate with only 68% staffing levels. This crisis has been escalating since 2000, becoming increasingly acute as teacher turnover rates have reached double digits over the last 25 years. The Bureau of Indian Education reports extremely low proficiency rates on standardized testing and graduation rates far below national averages, creating an educational emergency that demands immediate attention. 

The teacher shortage has led to increasing calls for expanded educator preparation within community colleges. This column draws upon qualitative findings from the “2023 Tribal Leaders Study: An Emergent View on Education, Tribal Sovereignty, Leadership, and Change” (Holmes, 2024), which engaged tribal leaders from the lower 48 states and Alaska, to offer research-based insights for Community college educational leaders (CCELS) designing programs to prepare teachers for work on Native American lands. The study’s findings offer valuable insights into key themes expressed by tribal leaders, including visions for an ideal Native educational system, concerns about current educational approaches, barriers to achieving desired educational outcomes, and thoughts on collaborating with educational stakeholders. These insights inform a set of strategic recommendations for CCELS to better design and construct their education programs with the cultural, linguistic, and sovereignty-based needs of Native American communities.

Tribal leaders voiced their desire and concern for their voices to be heard throughout the educational process involving Native students. It is recommended that CCELS engage directly with tribal leaders in their Native communities rather than inviting them to community college campuses. Establishing relationships in Native spaces acknowledges tribal sovereignty and affirms the government-to-government nature of the community college’s relationship with the Native Nations and tribal leaders. This approach begins the process of dismantling colonial structures that often dominate educational discourse, policy, and practice.

Understanding the hopes, dreams, and educational visions held by tribal leaders, elders, and parents is essential. These perspectives may differ significantly from traditional Western educational models. CCELS are encouraged to initiate deep listening and reflective conversations with tribal leaders on their visions of the ideal Native education — visions that often include the integration of Native culture, accurate historical representation, Native language bilingual instruction, and culturally grounded pedagogies.

In addition, tribal leaders emphasized the need for Native teachers, community-engaged schools, and technologically modern learning environments. Community college teacher preparation programs must, therefore, embed cultural responsiveness, promote Native teaching and leadership, and understand the local technological ecosystem throughout the curriculum design and implementation process.

CCELS are encouraged to develop a nuanced understanding of the interplay between local educational agencies and state education agencies in relation to tribal governance. Also, CCELS should remain informed about concerns raised by tribal leaders focused on the lack of culturally relevant curricula, the marginalization of Native languages and traditions in school environments, and the proliferation of what has been termed “multicultural light” — a superficial or tokenistic approach to cultural inclusion.

Tribal leaders voiced concerns about the fading vitality of Native culture and language. As such, CCELS are urged to design programs that actively contribute to the revitalization of Indigenous knowledge systems through culturally sustaining pedagogy, including instruction in Native languages, traditional ecological knowledge, and intergenerational learning models.  Barriers to educational success, as articulated by tribal leaders, emerged within and outside of Native Nations. Internal challenges may include resistance to change among elders or established leadership, while external barriers often stem from funding shortages, insufficient infrastructure, and state or federal policies that undermine tribal initiatives. Additionally, many Native youth experience a disconnection from both reservation and non-reservation life, leaving them in a cultural and educational limbo. Teacher education programs must be designed by CCELS to support students navigating these complex realities.

CCELS have a great opportunity to increase the number of teachers teaching Native American students on and off Native American reservations. By working with tribal leaders, they can co-create educational programs that serve students of today and Native Nations of tomorrow. This collaboration must be built on mutual respect, an understanding of sovereignty, and a commitment to preserving and revitalizing Native culture and language, while preparing students for success in both Western and Native contexts. The urgency of this work cannot be overstated — Native communities cannot afford to wait while the teacher shortage crisis deepens and cultural knowledge continues to erode.

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Dr. William T. “Toby” Holmes serves as assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership, Kansas State
University.

The Roueche Center Forum is co-edited by Drs. John E. Roueche and Margaretta B. Mathis of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, Kansas State University.