In response to the congressional mandated P.L. commonly known as No Child Left Behind, the Bureau of Indian Education rises to the challenge by appointing new SES (minimum $150,000) a year jobs with highly qualified and credentialed Indians. Ooops, they just don’t have quality education experience, but then they aren’t trying to get a job in an education arena. A new federal agency that has long been rated part of the worst federal agency in the country and a REMNANT of the WAR Department. They should have stayed there; at least Defense keeps getting budget increases. Highly qualified in state institutions means that they have “relevant” experience at schools and are credentialed (that means a degree for BIE folks) in the area in which they manage, supervise or teach. States have certification requirements that actually REQUIRE people to be qualified for their job before they apply—states don’t let you act in the position for a year so that you meet the minimum guidelines…..and in any case, who said that minimum guidelines is good enough for job certification. The answer, of course, is the BIE. What happens to people who meet the minimum qualifications because they “acted” for a year ? In response to the congressional mandated P.L. commonly known as No Child Left Behind, the Bureau of Indian Education rises to the challenge by appointing new SES (minimum $150,000) a year jobs with highly qualified and credentialed Indians. Ooops, they just don’t have quality education experience, but then they aren’t trying to get a job in an education arena. It is after all, the Bureau of Indian Education. A new federal agency that has long been rated part of the worst federal agency in the country and a remnant of the War Department. They should have stayed there; at least Defense keeps getting budget increases. Highly qualified in state institutions means that they have “relevant” experience at schools and are credentialed (that means a degree for BIE folks) in the area in which they manage, supervise or teach. States have certification requirements that actually REQUIRE people to be qualified for their job before they apply—states don’t let you act in the position for a year so that you meet the minimum guidelines…..and in any case, who said that minimum guidelines is good enough for job certification. The answer, of course, is the BIE. What happens to qualified educators in the BIE? Let’s ask Bea Woodard and to all that it may concern. What happens to people who meet the minimum qualifications because they “acted” for a year? Let’s ask these folks : BIE Appointees including Stephanie Birdwell.
Where is the Office of Personnel Management in all of this? Full of their only “highly credentialed” and professional staff, I suppose, still it should occur to these federal employees that somewhere they actually are about 60,000K kids who depend on them to make good decisions. Ken Salazar is a political appointee; Larry Echohawk is a political appointee. Their credentials are vetted by Congress. Congress knows what they are getting. Congress (and the people they represent) have a voice in who gets these jobs. These two men are expected to make sure that the agencies they oversee follow the other laws, regulations, and policies of Congress. Well, BIE, NCLB is a federal law. Kevin Skenandore is acting director of the BIE, counting the days to his real career as a fisherman. Certification anywhere that would allow him to be head of the largest district in the country? Stephanie Birdwell is deputy director, post secondary and policy (married to Spike Bighorn). Apparently you don’t have to have any post secondary experience or credentials to supervise 39 tribal colleges. Spike Bighorn, chief of staff. Refereed over 500 games in Montana. Personnel executives (plural) who have high school credentials; would they even know how to review credentials for education? Tossing out a cry in the wilderness, Mr. Salazar.