Lethbridge School Division FNMI Education Strategic Plan

As I continue my policy research I came across the Lethbridge School Division FNMI Education Strategic Plan. One area of focus that I feel that policy distinguishes itself from others is the emphasis on school administrators becoming competent in traditional ways of knowing.

The screen capture above comes from the strategic action related to the goal of student success and empowered learning. While this goal is an admirable one and is found in several policies that I have encountered the identifiable strategic actions are of significant interest. This is one of the few policies that identifies the importance of building capacity in Indigenous Ways of Knowing at the administration level. Often times the acts of decolonizing pedagogy and incorporating Indigenous learning systems into classrooms falls solely on the shoulders of teachers. As instructional leadership is a requirement of school based administrators this policy takes an important step in creating school cultures that are at the forefront of decolonizing pedagogy. If we are truly going to look to make systemic change in Alberta, school based administrators must develop an understanding of traditional ways of knowing. Furthermore, it is through this capacity of school leadership that allows teaching and support staff to feel comfortable examining their own practice and look for opportunities to incorporate methodology that supports Indigenous students and in turn is beneficial for all learners.

In addition, having administrators tha value traditional ways of knowing as sophisticated pedagogy we can move away from temporary inclusive practices that acknowledge Indigenous culture but do not result in any instructional changes or assessment practices. School districts need their leadership to understand that we must do more than create culture weeks or have guest presenters come into our schools. It is more than reading books and incorporating stories. There is a real opportunity to have administrators on the forefront of supporting personal acts of decolonization related to Canadian history and how our Indigenous learners can be given opportunities in the classroom to increase their confidence and reinforce their identities as members of vibrant and sophisticated communities. This is certainly an element of policy that I am going to look to incorporate in my revised document for my final project.