The American Indian Institute for Innovation is getting $455,000 from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to run the Takini school. But not for long:
We’ve learned that after felony charges of faking evidence were filed by the state in the GEAR UP investigation against Stacy Phelps, the Cheyenne River Tribal Council has made a motion to terminate its contract with AIII to run Takini school. The Tribal Council will vote on it next week [Angela Kennecke, “Tribe Takes Step to Cancel Contract with AIII,” KELO-TV, 2016.03.29].
AIII has taken over three South Dakota schools: Takini, Lower Brule, and Wounded Knee. The GEAR UP scandal may unravel all three of those takeovers and call into question the wisdom of privatizing Indian education. But let’s watch closely to see whom the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe picks to run Takini.
Forgive the snark,but, no one had to die before the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe acted for their own benefit. They appear to be more engaged than pols in Pierre.
Can someone tell me why these schools are not considered public schools, or why they are not run by the BIE, or why they needed an outside organization like AIII to run them?
Addition to previous comment:
Why don’t tribes run their own schools?
You and Angela are getting warm, you should team up, seriously! Check into a Senate bill that passed into law during the 2010 session involving the states application for Race to the Top grant funding.
any way to flesh out the above comment cory?
I believe the commenter refers to 2010 SB 63, discussed in this post about AIII’s aspiration to build an American Indian STEM boarding school somewhere near Whitewood:
https://dakotafreepress.com/2015/11/25/gear-up-players-sought-federal-grant-for-american-indian-stem-boarding-school-in-black-hills/