ERIC Number: EJ894694
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-May
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1529-8957
EISSN: N/A
Menominee Indian Middle School: A Community School with Voice and Heart
Principal Leadership, v10 n9 p38-41, 44 May 2010
The Menominee Indian School District is a K-12 public school district with 1,000 students that is located almost entirely on tribal lands in Wisconsin. This uniqueness has led the district and, in turn, the schools to recognize the cultural importance of the Menominee Nation and American Indians. To do this, Menominee culture is infused into daily learning. The goal is to help students take pride in who they are and to help them succeed culturally, intellectually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. Menominee Indian Middle School has seen significant growth in each of these areas over the last four years. The school has moved from being classified as "needing improvement" to being named a Wisconsin Middle School of Excellence for two consecutive years. This article discusses the changes made at the Menominee School under the leadership of Superintendent Wendell Waukau and Principal Stephanie Feldner, and how these changes have contributed to the school's success. Three key areas are highlighted as concepts that other schools can follow to achieve the same result: (1) Collaboration between teachers in the form of participation in "common planning time" teams; (2) Consistency in discipline so that the students understand that certain behaviors yield predictable consequences; and (3) Community building in homerooms each day by blending academic enrichment with a time for students to be heard by teachers.
Descriptors: Community Schools, Elementary Secondary Education, American Indians, School Districts, Middle Schools, Tribes, Educational Improvement, Teacher Collaboration, Enrichment, Reliability, Academic Achievement, Teamwork, Partnerships in Education, Principals, Data, Decision Making
National Association of Secondary School Principals. 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1537. Tel: 800-253-7746; Tel: 703-860-0200; Fax: 703-620-6534; Web site: http://www.principals.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A