U & D

LD291 – Or more correctly:

Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4706

CHAPTER 403
H.P. 255 – L.D. 291

An Act to Require Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine’s Schools

Enacted without funding, mandating but not requiring, not evaluated by a data collection tool, not tested, only indirectly addressed in the new state standards: Parameters for Essential Instruction/Social Studies (I can qualify that by saying that it is addressed in spirit by the inclusion of Maine’s Native Americans in several descriptors). So why should any Maine school or district set aside time and resources to implement Maine Native studies curricula?

Because it is the right thing to do. It is also the legal thing to do. And therefore schools throughout Maine are setting aside time and resources to implement new curricula. Is it working? How do we know?

The fact is that we don’t know. We don’t know because we don’t tell. For a laptop state, we are remarkably uncommunicative.

I have put out a call for teachers to share successful lessons and lesson ideas. I post these or link to these on my Wabanaki Studies site. U Maine’s Native Studies department maintains an online database of lessons created by their students (currently unavailable, but check the link in the sidebar above periodically). The State has begun to create a portal for resources. Numerous University, Native, museum, educational and independent efforts have resulted in well-attended workshops that feature information and lesson presentations.

From my point of view, the word has gone out. It is hard to believe that it has fallen on deaf ears.

And yet, our schools and teachers might be playing dumb. We have no clue what is actually being done. It’s time for the schools and teachers themselves – those like myself who believe in the importance of this effort – to become proactive.

I call for a Proof of Compliance.

Compliance is a wonderful word for the task because it has diverse meanings. It can mean doing one’s best, but also doing less than one’s best. It can mean acting purposefully and with agreement, but also acting unwillingly.

What school or district can not, then, say that it has complied with LD 291? Willingly or unwillingly, well or poorly, every school or district is able to say something about including the following in the curriculum:

A. Maine tribal governments and political systems and their relationship with local, state, national and international governments;
B. Maine Native American cultural systems and the experience of Maine tribal people throughout history;
C. Maine Native American territories; and
D. Maine Native American economic systems.

We, interested Maine educators, and We, the citizens of Maine, need and deserve to have this transparency of information. It’s time that we asked for it.

I guess the following, last, section of LD 291 needs to be reread by all:

Sec. 4. School to implement Maine Native American studies subject to availability of funds. Following review of the recommendations of the Maine Native American History and Culture Commission, school administrative units may not be required to take any action that necessitates additional expenditures from local revenues unless the Department of Education pays for 90% of the additional costs. Implementation of instruction in Maine Native American studies is at the discretion of the school administrative unit if additional local expenditures are required for implementation and the department has not paid its share of the additional local costs.

A school administrative unit that determines that it is unable to implement instruction in Maine Native American studies within existing state and local resources shall present its findings and supporting evidence to the Department of Education. The department shall review the findings and evidence and, if necessary, assist the unit in planning for implementation.

Has Sec. 4 limited curricular growth and change? How many communications have been made to the DOE? Again, it is time for knowledge of what has been done, is being done – from this we will learn what needs to be done. I fear that some of us are spinning our wheels, others of us are wasting our time.

Let’s move forward on a tool for sharing information!

Who would organize this? The DOE does not have time or manpower. Let’s let technology do technology’s task. Even I can create a web-based form with a database backend. I volunteer.

The names and addresses of superintendents and administrators are public information. They will have to be contacted. Again, I volunteer.

But it sure would be nice to have help!