Thursday’s meeting of the North Kitsap School District Board of Directors will be held jointly with the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to discuss strategic planning going forward.

According to Board meeting documents, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe acknowledges the success and effective work of the district for their collaborative efforts for teacher professional development and implementation of STI (Since Time Immemorial) curriculum. The tribe also applauded NKSD Superintendent Laurynn Evans’ involvement with the Information Technology Professional Examination Council (ITPEC) and Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) and consultation meetings with tribal officials, citing that quarterly check-ins have improved communication.

The tribe also recommended NKSD apply accountability support and improvement activities such as annual Since Time Immemorial training and encourage PGST history and culture to be brought into all classrooms. Another idea proposed by the tribe was for NKSD to accept S’klallam Language Curriculum as a “World Language Credit.” According to documents, the district’s response last year to this inquiry was that the curriculum department will investigate the possibility of implementing it in the 2020-2021 school year.

Another idea proposed by the Tribe was the inclusion of teaching strategies that have been successful for tribal students and require teachers to “consistently implement approaches to learning that meet the individual learning style of students.” Other proposed guidelines entailed securing a procedure that outlines interventions that are “creative and accommodate individual needs” as an alternative to suspension and recommendation of different programs or schools.

“When this happens, families have stated they felt they were ‘pushed out,’” meeting documents read.

Lastly, the tribe requested consistent meetings with the NKSD’s tribal designee with an assigned alternate.

“The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe values education and acknowledges the doors it can open for our youth,” documents read. “The recommendations are presented as an effort to increase the success for PGST students attending North Kitsap Schools.”