Chilchinbeto, Rough Rock schools could lose accreditation

WINDOW ROCK

The Navajo Nation’s Advance Ed Accreditation Commission met Wednesday to decide the fate of two schools on the verge of losing their accreditation.

Results of the meeting were not available by press time, but the commission’s 12-member accreditation council had recommended revoking the accreditation of both Rough Rock Community School and Chilchinbeto Community School.

Since both schools are BIE grant schools, and the BIE requires all its schools to maintain accreditation, it’s possible the schools will lose their grants and have to close.

The schools’ existing accreditation will be valid through June 30. If the commission rules against the schools, they have the option to appeal, but re-accreditation can take years and the schools must each put up a $25,000 retainer fee, which they get back if their campaign is successful.

Both schools have had a high turnover rate in their administrations in recent years and problems meeting academic standards.

Chilchinbeto school lost its accreditation last year, but was given a probation year to fix its problems, according to a press release from the Department of Diné Education.

DODE took over the school’s governance and “on a continual basis, (Education Program Manager) Dr. (Anselm) Davis provided trainings to the school board and administrator on accreditation requirements,” the release states.

Eight deficiencies were noted and the school was supposed to generate a report on how they would correct them.

Instead, according to the release, the school board and its attorney on April 26 demanded the school governance be returned to its board. The Navajo Nation Board of Education agreed to the demand.

This led to the resignation of the principal and head teacher, according to the release.

“Advance Ed warned Chilchinbeto School Board that the resignation by two school leaders could be viewed as a serious weakness,” the release states.

This was the case, as “Advance Ed Accreditation Council dropped the school primarily because of ongoing management instability over a long period,” the release continues. “The resignation of the school principal and the constant micromanagement by the school board make it even more difficult with the preparation and submission of a professional and reliable (progress) report.”

According to Tommy Lewis, Navajo Nation Superintendent of Schools, the board blamed DODE for the loss of accreditation because DODE had assumed the school.

“We tried to assist them,” Lewis stated, but two members of the school board retaliated against our assumption and pressured and micromanaged the principal because of personalities.”

The release did not go into detail about the situation at Rough Rock Community School, the first BIE contract school that, back in the 1960s, was a model for Indian education and self-determination.

Interim Chief Executive Officer Leon Ben issued a statement saying Rough Rock had reduced its deficiencies from 23 at the beginning of 2015 to three as of April 2016.

“While we made very good strides in becoming compliant, time ran out on our given timeline,” Ben stated. “The past three weeks have been spent working on a strategic plan, a continuous school improvement plan, recruiting highly effective teachers, and (we) will go out in the field to enroll students.”

Ben added the school has set aside $25,000 for an appeal “should there be that need.”

Lewis was on travel last week and Florinda Jackson, education program manager for DODE’s Office of Diné Accountability and Compliance, did not return a phone call by press time.

No one answered the phone at Chilchinbeto school.

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