DINÉ EMPOWERMENT
Voices for Equity in Education
Resources
Why advocate for your children?
At Diné Empowerment, we believe in promoting equity in education and empowering community members to use their voice to impact the following issues:
Language & Culture
Special Education
Emotional support
Wellness & Sports
School Safety
College & Career Readiness
Think about what you know about your child’s education process, the school, the administration, the school board (the system) and decide what area you would like to discuss in these sessions; you will build your own advocacy plan.
NAATAANII LEADERSHIP SKILLS:
Parent Leadership Cultural Response Model
Our Cultural Response Model is based on Diné Core Values (Iina Bitsi’silei) that center our work and shape our destiny by reclaiming the way our children are being educated.
K’é is mutual respect, and it guides our relationships and proper behavior for engaging with people.
Hózhó are positive attributes of harmony, peace, balance, integrity, and goodness and it guides our thinking, listening, speaking, behavior and interactions with all people.
Diné Identity is our power source promoted through our language, culture, spirituality, and philosophy to address challenges we face in modern day society.
Inherent Sovereignty is our human right to our culture, language, spirituality, and homelands. We rely on our inherent sovereignty to empower our communities.
Eé dit’iih is the discovery of learning and solving problems. As a Sovereign Nation, we have courage and responsibility to find solutions to improve education for all students.
YAZZIe/MARTINEZ v. state of new mexico
Families and school districts, represented by the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, sued the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) and the state legislature for failing to provide a sufficient and uniform system of education to all New Mexican students as guaranteed by the education clause of the New Mexico State Constitution. [www.nmpovertylaw.org]
On July 20, 2018, Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that all New Mexico students have a right to be college and career ready and that the state is not currently meeting to meet this obligation.
ABBREVIATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW
IEP
Individualized Education Plan
PBS
Positive Behavior Support
PED
Public Education Department
504 Plan
Accommodation Plan
SAT
Student Assistance Team
STEM
Science, Technology,Engineering, Math
DD Waiver
Developmental Disabilities Waiver
OCR
Office for Civil Rights
FERPA
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
IMPORTANT LINKS
EPICS New Mexico
EPICS is a Community Parent Resource Center serving New Mexico families who have Native American children with disabilities or developmental delays.
Parents Reaching Out (PRO)
https://parentsreachingout.org
Parents Reaching Out (PRO) provides support, training and tools for families and youth with disabilities or complex medical needs.
New Mexico Department of Health
The New Mexico Department of Health works in many ways to promote, preserve and protect your health.
Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico
New Mexico LFC Report
NM LFC Report for Western Districts (CCSD)
New Mexico Safe Schools
Community School Resources
New Mexico Equity Council Resources
Advocacy Resources