Anchorage Daily News

Tina Michels-Hansen spoke at a recent Anchorage hearing conducted by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on how to prevent students from dropping out of school. Michels-Hansen struggled with school herself when she had to move to Fairbanks her senior year.

She grew up and became a teacher. Now she manages a program for Cook Inlet Tribal Council that helps Alaska Native and American Indian children at three elementary schools and two middle schools.

She answered e-mail questions from the Daily News about her experiences and opinions on helping Alaska Native students succeed. The answers have been edited for length.

-- Rosemary Shinohara

Q. Please talk about your personal experiences in school, in Nome, Fairbanks and at UAA.

A. I was born and raised in Nome where I attended school and played alongside most of the same classmates from preschool through graduation. Nome was a wonderful place to grow up, filled with ample opportunities to learn from my environment, surrounded by caring people. I was fortunate to be grounded in both Alaska Native and western cultures and their traditions. I enjoyed school and did well academically. I participated in athletics, culture club, extensive art classes, church activities, and other community activities. In my senior year I had to move to Fairbanks. There I enrolled in a school that was 10 times the size I had been attending, one of nearly 2,000 students. For three months I didn't know where my locker was, would only attend the two core classes I had to, and I then braved the minus 40 temperatures and the risk of frostbite rather than feel the emptiness I did while at school. I felt invisible, a person with no name, only a student ID number. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

After one semester I couldn't tolerate it anymore and moved back to Nome to graduate with the rest of my hometown class.

After high school graduation I moved to Anchorage for college, where I floundered for a few years in and out of school. At UAA, I also experienced prejudice for the first time based on my ethnicity. I was not accepted as a "Native" student because I didn't look it, and I was not accepted as a "white" student because I grew up in rural Alaska. Eventually, I found the supportive environment I needed at Sheldon Jackson College, a small private school in Sitka.

The details of my personal story aren't what are important. What is important is to recognize that today we all have students who experience similar emotions and struggles in Alaska's schools, rural and urban.

Q. What do you think would most help to prevent Alaska Native students from dropping out?

A. I don't believe there is one simple answer, yet there are factors that we know when combined produce success for all students, not just Alaska Native students. Schools run the risk of becoming factories that lack climates critical to positive youth development. The language that our communities and schools use often reflects a deficit-based approach, such as "dropout prevention," "drug-free," "crime prevention," "alcohol and drug abuse reduction and prevention," "gun free," and so forth. We need to emphasize the strengths that our youth have, rather than only focusing on eliminating the factors that lead to failure.

Q. What do you think is the biggest problem facing Alaska Native students in the Anchorage School District?

A. The reality is students and their families are moving from Alaska's remote villages to our urban hubs like Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, etc. in large numbers. Education is a traditional Native value, yet it's difficult for many families to solely focus on education when they are also navigating the unstable economy and employment opportunities, the sky-high cost of living, and ensuring their family's basic needs are met when transitioning to a new community. Many people, Native and non-Native, are in survival mode right now and we need to remember that. Many Alaska Native families have a residual mistrust and misunderstanding with the western model of compulsory education due to the challenging history of Native education in Alaska, and we cannot turn a blind eye to that. Prejudices still exist in our schools and communities today. Building trust and effective communication amongst families and schools requires intentional efforts to build relationships with families in order to advocate for their rights and responsibilities as parents in an often large and unfamiliar system.

Through our partnership with the Anchorage School District, Cook Inlet Tribal Council uses teaching methods that reflect traditional ways of teaching and learning, curricula that meet district and state standards while also integrating Native culture. We provide a tremendous amount of outreach to and ongoing communication with our students and their families. We respect and hold Alaska Native traditions and values as central in our everyday work. We know that our kids are competent and capable individuals who hold the key to our future.

Q. You said you felt invisible and ignored by teachers. What would change that?

A. We need to recognize that people are facing difficult times right now and that prejudices, real and/or unintentional, are still prevalent in our schools and society. We need to be asking our successful students "what is it that worked for them?" and use our students' insights to help guide our educational systems. For example, a former CITC student, Debra Naaqtuuq Dommek, recently testified before the White House that "school is where youth spend most of their time, and it should be a place where they feel that they are safe and can grow. ... Cook Inlet Tribal Council really helped all of us Native students to succeed. They have a school-within-a-school program where they teach core classes and provide a place where students can feel safe to be who they are and to be comfortable to express themselves."

Q. What do you tell a Native student or parent who says they feel lost in the Anchorage school system?

A. ASD is one of the most ethnically rich and diverse districts in the nation. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate and build upon all students' heritage and experiences. I would encourage students and families to remember where you come from, that you are not alone, that you are part of a much larger community, and that you need to reach out to others and advocate for yourself and your needs. There are people who care, people who are willing to take the time to listen, and to help you fulfill your endless potential.

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