“You have to plant the seeds of the trees that may never shade you, but will shade your grandchildren.”
—Bentham Ohia (Māori) community activist and educator.
The Center’s staff and key partners bring a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, which is a critical element in the organization’s success. The staff is comprised of individuals who are flexible, independent, and driven towards making the Center the best in the country. Staff are engaged in the development of mathematics programs for indigenous peoples; have developed and implemented literacy programs with emphasis on site leadership, university preservice as well as education reform initiatives. Still others have experience working in Native American advocacy organizations, Native American higher education, and philanthropic foundations. All staff are deeply committed to raising achievement levels for Native students.
Partnerships and collaborations enrich the Center’s work by bringing together entities and individuals possessing a wide range of knowledge and expertise. One such partnership is with the U.S. Math Recovery Council (USMRC - www.mathrecovery.org). The USMRC is a non-profit organization promoting and supporting initiatives involving the Learning Framework in Number (LFIN). This relationship involves a network of mathematics education specialists working in the area of early numeracy and provides the project access to a range of professional development and pedagogical tools.
Another critical partnership is with Southern Cross University in New South Wales, Australia and Dr. Robert Wright, the developer of the LFIN. Dr. Wright’s contributions include direct involvement in the creation of the professional development models for this project and with professional development activities in project schools. Dr. Wright’s work in New South Wales, Australia, has resulted in substantial gains in mathematic achievement with indigenous populations in Australia.
The Center’s work begins and ends with accountability. The Center is engaged in collaborative partnerships, the primary being with Stanford University, to develop innovative evaluation techniques that measure changes in teacher practice. This is the first time a model has been developed to measure such performance standards in classroom instruction.