Kara Bobroff, who is from the Navajo/Sioux Nation, has experienced firsthand how some schools fail Native American children. She is a former principal of a middle school on a reservation as well as assistant principal of a California Distinguished school in San Rafael, California and originally a student, a teacher, and assistant principal in the Albuquerque Public School district. Nationwide, the high school drop out rate for Native American students is twice the national average and in New Mexico, Native American students score lower than any other ethnic group on standardized tests. In particular, the public schools in the Albuquerque area, a district of 80,000 students that includes approximately 5,000 Indian students, are in need of culturally appropriate programs to help its growing Native American population.
Kara decided to do something to help Native American students achieve success in the classroom. She worked to create a small 6-12 grade charter school, the Native American Community Academy, that uses culturally-appropriate programs that focus on the success of the Native American population. The Native American Community Academy is one of the first urban schools dedicated to the achievement of Native American students.
For more information please visit www.nacaschool.org