"American Indian students are more likely to live in poverty and face unemployment later in life. These children carry the burdens of geographic isolation and multi-generational poverty that are heavy to lift.

In my conversations with state leaders on ways to help students in chronically failing schools — ideas such as expanding eligibility for education savings accounts and allowing parents to petition to convert a failing school to a charter school — policymakers regularly cite the unique challenges presented by American Indian students.

Digital and online learning opportunities offer hope. As Goldwater Institute Senior Fellow Dan Lips explains in his new Policy Brief, “Digital Learning: Improve Educational Opportunities for American Indian Students,” online programs can be made available to any student and would increase educational opportunities in rural areas and on reservations."

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Jonathan Butcher: Digital learning: A game changer for American Indian students (The White Mountain Independent 3/6)