Q&A: New Initiative to Recruit American Indian Teachers

This interview features Patrick Herrel, senior recruitment director at Teach for America, discussing the organization’s American Indian Teach for America Initiative aimed at addressing the shortage of Native American teachers.

The Educational Equity Challenge

Native American students face significant educational inequities, experiencing “some of the highest levels of poverty” and limited classroom opportunities. This achievement gap reflects broader systemic issues affecting indigenous communities across the United States.

The Native Achievement Initiative

Teach for America launched the Native Achievement Initiative with ambitious goals to increase educational opportunities for Native American students through strategic recruitment and regional expansion.

Primary Objectives

1. Recruit talented Native American leaders to teach in underserved Native-serving schools
2. Increase Native corps member recruitment by emphasizing community relationships
3. Expand regional presence from 200 corps members across 3 regions to approximately 1,200 across 6 regions by 2015

Demonstrated Results

In the 2009-10 school year, the initiative achieved notable outcomes:

• 280 corps members served over 11,000 Native students across Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota
• Native students in New Mexico showed “the most substantial academic growth” on state achievement tests
• 95% principal satisfaction rating with corps members

These results suggest that well-trained, committed teachers can make measurable differences in student achievement, even in challenging educational environments.

Two-Pronged Strategy

Increasing Native Recruitment

The initiative prioritizes recruiting Native American corps members who bring:

• Cultural understanding and community connections
• Role model representation for Native students
• Bilingual/bicultural capabilities
• Long-term commitment to Native education

Scaling Impact on Student Populations

Beyond recruiting Native teachers, the initiative focuses on:

• Expanding to additional regions with significant Native populations
• Building partnerships with tribal leaders
• Placing all corps members (not just Native members) in Native-serving schools
• Creating sustainable educational improvement systems

The Importance of Representation

Native American teachers serve critical roles beyond instruction:

• Cultural bridges: Connecting curriculum to students’ lived experiences
• Identity affirmation: Demonstrating educational and professional success
• Community trust: Building relationships between schools and tribal communities
• Language preservation: Supporting indigenous language instruction

Partnership with Tribal Leaders

Success requires genuine partnership with tribal leadership. Herrel emphasizes building relationships that:

• Respect tribal sovereignty and self-determination
• Align with tribal educational priorities
• Involve community input in program design
• Support long-term capacity building

Challenges and Opportunities

Recruitment Challenges

• Geographic dispersion: Native communities spread across vast areas
• Historical mistrust: Legacy of federal education policies harming Native communities
• Alternative pathways: Competing opportunities for talented Native students
• Cultural fit concerns: Ensuring the program aligns with Native values

Opportunities for Impact

• Teacher pipeline development: Creating pathways for Native educators
• Leadership development: Building future educational and community leaders
• Systemic change: Alumni influence beyond classroom teaching
• Model replication: Successful approaches informing broader educational reform

Beyond the Classroom

Teach for America alumni often continue serving Native communities through:

• Educational administration and policy
• Tribal government and leadership
• Social entrepreneurship addressing community needs
• Advocacy for Native educational equity

This broader impact multiplies the initiative’s long-term effect on Native communities.

Measuring Success

Success extends beyond test scores to include:

• Increased Native teacher representation in underserved schools
• Student engagement and attendance improvements
• College enrollment rates for Native students
• Community satisfaction with educational quality
• Alumni commitment to continued Native education work

Lessons for Educational Equity

The American Indian Teach for America Initiative demonstrates several important principles:

1. Representation matters: Students benefit from teachers who reflect their communities
2. Community partnership is essential: Top-down programs fail without genuine collaboration
3. Cultural competency is non-negotiable: Effective teaching requires cultural understanding
4. Sustainable impact requires scale: Individual excellence must combine with systemic reach

Looking Forward

Achieving the 2015 goals required sustained commitment to:

• Recruiting talented Native educators
• Building trust with tribal communities
• Maintaining high-quality training and support
• Demonstrating measurable student achievement gains
• Creating pathways for long-term educational leadership

The initiative reflects growing recognition that educational equity for Native American students requires both increased resources and culturally responsive approaches grounded in community partnership.