Navajo Woman Named NM Indian Educator of the Year

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GRANTS - Gloria Hale, Director of Indian Education for the Grants/Cibola
County School District, has been honored as 2008 New Mexico Indian
Educator of the Year.

The state's Public Education Department bestowed the award. During her
four years with the district, Hale has initiated the K-6 Navajo oral
language program at two elementary schools, obtained continued funding
for the K-12 Acoma Keresan language program at Laguna-Acoma High School
and plans to work with the Pueblo of Laguna to introduce the Laguna
Keresan language program. The district has approximately 41 percent
Native American students enrolled in its ten schools. The three largest
Native American tribal representations are from the Pueblo of Acoma, the
Pueblo of Laguna and students from the Navajo Baca Chapter. Other tribal
representations include Zuni, Mescalero Apache and other tribes.

Since the implementation of the New Mexico Indian Education Act of 2003,
Hale has initiated programs which has brought the district into
compliance. Other aspects of the legislation include stressing the study
of New Mexican Indian history and government, increase Native American
parental involvement in the schools and partnerships with local tribes
to establish curriculum and assessments of the language and culture.

Hale, who is of Navajo descent, came to New Mexico after retiring as a
public school superintendent in Arizona. "When Arizona became an
"English Only" state in 2003, I realized it was time to retire
and seek other educational opportunities that support indigenous
language and culture," she related.

She was hired by GCCS shortly after passage of the N.M. Indian Education
Act and stated that the current leadership team of the school district
has created the most ideal situation she has ever worked in. "Within
the district, a diversity of Hispanics, Caucasians, Asians, various
Native American tribes and African-American students are
represented," she noted.

Hale has a bachelor's of art in elementary education from Fort Lewis
College in Durango, Colo., and an master of arts in educational
administration from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. She
also has done post-graduate work at Arizona State University and the
University of California-Los Angeles.

She is serving on the New Mexico Native American History Curriculum
guide committee, which will devise a guide for teachers. Hale is also
current New Mexico state chairperson for the National Association of
Federally Impacted Schools, which addresses issues on Impact Aid funding
and the Equalization law.

"I believe in extending and enhancing the Navajo language and
culture and aligning with the state academic standards in the New Mexico
school system; however, parents should be the first teachers to
introduce the language and culture in the early years at home and around
the clock," she said.

By Diane Fowler

Beacon staff writer