James King, Jr., Lame Deer Schools Truancy Officer. Photo courtesy A Cheyenne Voice
Lame Deer school tackles truancy problem
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent LAME DEER, Mont. –– Lame Deer Schools on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation once averaged a 67% daily school attendance record, within the year brought up to about 89%, still an unacceptable problem according to Tom King, Jr., new Truancy Officer. “We have a very serious truancy/attendance problem and we need a solution now,” he said. Of the four area schools, Lame Deer Public is one of the largest geographic districts in Montana, required by State law to serve students who are dropped by sister institutions for truancy or attendance problems, normally for missing ten days per semester. Consequently, Lame Deer School is often a “last resort” for students with chronic poor attendance King explained. Lame Deer School Board Chairman Robert McLean noted that attendance is also a problem for other area schools, a deeply ingrained and complex problem on the Reservation. “Resolving that will require a broad-based community effort,” he remarked. In past years, attendance was much higher, about 95% in the elementary level, he said, based on his past experience as Lame Deer elementary school principal. Tom King, Jr., Truancy Officer is a Northern Cheyenne tribal member who graduated from St. Labre, attended college, became a police officer, school resource officer and father of four successful students. He credits his traditional grandparents for his own academic success. “They taught me the importance of education, insisting on daily attendance and achievement," King said. "So, this is not just a job to me. It is a passion.” He and his wife Misty King, Blackfeet tribal member and second grade teacher at Lame Deer Elementary recently discussed attendance/truancy at Lame Deer Schools. When gaining a Masters Degree in Education from Concordia University, she investigated attendance and truancy rates among Native Americans, especially on Reservations. “Indians have the worst school attendance records of any ethnic group in the country, according to several academic studies,” she shook her head. “That directly relates to academic achievement. If a student is not proficient in reading by the second grade, they will struggle throughout their school years.”
A school administration building. Photo from Lame Deer Schools
That point is underscored by a recent U.S. News and World Report published on May 13, 2015 about the nations’ high schools which includes statistics on college readiness, math and reading proficiency for every public high school in the nation. College readiness test results were not available for Lame Deer School but a shocking zero proficiency in math and 25% proficiency in reading were posted for that school and similar results for several other Montana reservation high schools. “That is huge’, King noted. “We need to change that by getting students prepared for testing. They can only do that by attending school on a regular basis.” The Lame Deer School recently renewed emphasis on attendance, involving all staff from secretaries to administrators. King, hired in a newly funded Truancy Officer position in October 2014, spearheads each case, handling from 3-7 home visits per day. On behalf of the school, he and tribal prosecution staff have requested support from the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council. “It is a touchy subject, but now there are no teeth in our tribal law,” they explain. “The current tribal law and order code needs to be amended to provide for stiffer penalties for truancy. Not sending your child to school is child abuse, but now there are only minor penalties for parents and youth. The Tribe should address the problem by passing stronger laws about attendance and truancy.” While a few Tribal Council members have listened to recommendation made by Lame Deer Schools and Tribal Prosecution, the Council as a whole has yet to take formal action. However, Tribal Judges and the tribal prosecution staff have recently started working actively with the school on truancy cases, which they mutually call political “hot potatoes." After careful documentation and prosecution, some parents have been fined for misdemeanor charges, facing maximum penalty of $200.00. Prosecutors and King want the option of jail time for chronic offenders, including parents and teens said Calvin Wilson, chief tribal prosecutor. “We always work towards remediation, encouraging some type of educational option, even GEDS and Job Corps, but stiffer consequences could deter truancy," WIlson said. “Northern Cheyenne has the most lax truancy laws in the State,” King added. “We have to do something to interrupt this cycle among some of our people to give all of our children a chance for success. I want our tribal officials to do more than just talk about education during election time. When I make home visits, often the parents are angry. And many of the youth live in dysfunctional home environments including substance abuse, serious overcrowding due to a lack of housing on the reservation and even hunger, reflecting extreme poverty and unemployment. Many troubled students have very little formal structure in their lives.” Misty talked about generational trauma including the boarding school experience which has caused negative views about education among some Cheyenne parents. “But, on the other hand, we have students with perfect attendance this year,” she noted. “And many more have good attendance because of responsible parents. Many Cheyenne parents have graduated, even with advanced degrees. We need to make that the norm and encourage those who are having problems.” Superintendent Bill Parker, also a tribal member with advanced degree added: “In all of our People’s history, our leaders have advised our young people to attend school. This is still true no matter if you are traditional or modern in your beliefs. Education can unlock opportunity for youth, family and all the community. We need to work together. That is why we established the Truant Officer position, hoping for positive results.” Tom agreed. “Otherwise, we will continue to see too many young kids having kids, continuing a cycle of poverty.” Beginning next school year students and parents with habitual truancy problems will be required to sign an attendance contract agreeing to consequences for failure to abide by those terms, he explained. In spite of the challenge, the school is hopeful. “It makes a difference when the kids and parents know you care,” Tom concluded. “It might be tough love, but we do care. The future of our children and our Tribe rides on that.” (Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com.) Copyright permission Native Sun News
Join the Conversation
