Cultural Specialist Indian Ed Program

General Information

Position Summary: This position provides support in recognizing and responding to cultural differences in order to support high academic achievement by all students, with a specific focus on Dakota/Lakota students.

Reports to: Director of Indian Education Program

• Bachelor's degree in education, behavioral sciences or a related field and two years of work experience involving serving as a community liaison, providing outreach services to a diverse population, public relations work, training and/or facilitation. (Equivalent combinations of education and/or work experience will be considered.)
• Understands and has lived experience with American Indian traditions, community structures, and cultural practices.

• Knowledge of Native/American Indian cultural issues
• Knowledge of Native/American Indian community structures
• Knowledge of Dakota/Lakota history, language and culture
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Computer skills necessary to produce public materials using district designed templates.
• Ability to work with American Indian students and parents in academic, home and community settings.
• Ability to finish projects in a timely manner.
• Ability to market the district to city residents.
• Ability to access community resources.
• Ability to bridge home and district environments.
• Ability to work independently.

• Facilitate meetings between students, parents and school staff who are from Native/Indigenous community backgrounds to facilitate home/school communication and assist in the resolution of misunderstandings and conflicts.
• Meet with students to gather information about needs/issues; organize and facilitate support groups to address identified needs/issues; assist students experiencing a wide variety of academic, social and/or emotional needs; serve as a role model and mentor for these students; encourage good attendance and promote high achievement.
• Serve on school teams/committees to represent parents and/or students of color; represent the views of the minority parent or student; explain the goals and objectives of the school in culturally sensitive language.
• Support classroom teachers in interactions with Native students and their families.
• Assist the school social worker, SAM and SART teams and the Native Attendance Specialist in working with families to address truancy and attendance problems.
• Assist families in overcoming barriers to their attendance at parent‑teacher conferences; attend conferences to assist parents to communicate with school staff as necessary.
• Support the unique Dakota/Lakota linguistic and cultural needs of American Indian (Native students) through material culture programming.
• Assist students and families with making regalia such as ribbon skirts and shirts, powwow regalia, ceremony and graduation regalia.
• Serve as a member of the school site council and the school operations team; articulate the school's mission; document and follow up on the concerns of parents.
• Recruit parents to participate on the School Site Council, in the Parent Teachers Association and American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC); promote participation by parents in other school events and functions.
• Team with the principal to develop strategies to include families in the implementation of school behavior and social skills programs.
• Review information gathered from meetings with parents; make recommendations to school administration on how to make the school a more inviting place, including recommendations on the physical design of the school.
• Orient new families to the school and provide assistance to help them participate in the school.
• Work with students of color and monitor their academic progress, behavior and attendance.
• Serve as liaison to after school programs and cultivate additional after school program opportunities to meet the academic, cultural and social needs of the school's diverse student body.
• Initiate contacts with businesses and/or community groups to promote support for the school, attend community meetings to represent the school and to learn about what is going on…