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- All Subjects: School-to-work transition
- All Subjects: Education
- Creators: Vandegrift, Judith A.
- Creators: Iverson, Peter
In this interview, Iverson and Zah dialog on the topics of leadership and the evolution of the Navajo Nation. Zah gives his perspective on leadership and the important attributes that a Navajo leader should have in order to be effective. Iverson and Zah discuss past and present influential leaders that have made an impact on the Navajo Nation. Those who were mentioned include the inspirational Chief Manuelito, health issues activist Annie Wauneka, livestock advocate Tom Dodge, and William Morgan, who was a pioneer for the written Navajo language. Zah comments on the leadership role of DNA People's Legal Services and his experience as a leader there. Zah expresses his ideals about individual rights and education and how the hard work of his colleagues and himself has furthered those ideals. Iverson and Zah converse about education and the growing presence of American Indians at Arizona State University. Finally, Zah gives his thoughts about two major challenges that the Navajo Nation face today: trying to keep the Navajo government accountable to the Navajo people and the effective management of resources on the Navajo Nation.
In this interview, Peterson Zah addresses Navajo history, both past and present. Numerous topics are discussed in this interview such as the beginning stages of the Navajo reservation, language and culture, women in Navajo politics, and old and new Navajo values. Zah commentates on matters pertaining to the Navajo Tribal Government, such as the Indian Reorganization Act, the history and issues of the Navajo Tribal Government, and its future. He mentions key individuals in Navajo history that contributed to the growth and well-being of the community, for example Annie Wauneka and Raymond Nakai. Zah also reflects on some of his greatest achievements while working at DNA People's Legal Services and as Tribal Chairman. Major achievements mentioned include the revamping of Apache County, the rising number of Navajo lawyers, and the creation of new high schools on the Navajo reservation, which ultimately led to the closing down of boarding schools. Zah gives details about significant precedent-setting cases that DNA People's Legal Services handled, such as the McClanahan v. the Arizona Tax Commission case.
In this interview, Peterson Zah reveals personal experiences about his childhood, the struggles of growing up, and how those experiences shaped his life today. Zah reflects on living close to Keams Canyon, trying to keep family traditions, farming, obtaining water, and the hardships of family going to war, scarcity of food and water, and having to relocate multiple times due to the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute. He recounts his personal experiences attending Tuba City Boarding School, Phoenix Indian School, Phoenix College, and finally Arizona State University. Zah recalls various aspects of his education including his class schedules and routine at Tuba City Boarding School and the goal of Phoenix Indian School being more concerned about vocational training than college preparation. He also takes a moment to address his mentors that helped him throughout the different stages of his education.
In this interview, Peterson Zah expresses his opinions and observations about education during his time at Window Rock High School as a teacher and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He discusses issues concerning boarding schools, bringing public schools onto the Navajo reservation, and creating an efficient educational policy. Zah speaks about the Indian Self Determination Act of 1975, the establishment of the Navajo Community College, and how acquiring the rights to vote allowed the Navajo Nation to play a more pivotal role in elections and educational decisions. The latter half of the interview reflects upon the growing number of Native American students in higher education, retention rates, self-determination, and community pride and support. Zah also addresses the Native American achievement program created by ASU to help with retention rates and the future goals for Native American students in higher education.
In this interview, Peterson Zah reflects on his academic and professional experiences from 1947-1987. Zah's academic experiences range from him first attending boarding school, transferring to Phoenix Indian School's Navajo Special Program, attending public high school, and graduating from Arizona State University in 1963. Professional experiences discussed in this interview include working for ASU's Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) volunteer training program, being employed by DNA People's Legal Services and some of their influential cases, and his greatest accomplishments while serving as Tribal Chairmen from 1983-1987. Zah also addresses the creation of the Navajo education policy and briefly discusses key points in Navajo history, such as relocation and significant treaties.
Between May and July of 1996, members of the council were asked to participate in a series of interviews. The primary purpose of the interviews was to elicit council members' views of and expectations for Arizona's STW initiative. A second reason was to clarify the mission of the council itself. This paper highlights salient points from the interviews. Quotes are used verbatim.
The fourth, and final, annual statewide public opinion polling is part of a multifaceted evaluation of Arizona's school to work (STW) initiative. Baseline data were established in spring 1996; comparative data have been collected annually since then. The polling assesses public attitudes toward STW, and determines their level of support or opposition to the initiative. Each year, three constituent groups were polled: parents, businesses, and educators. Sample sizes in 1999 yielded results comparable with those in 1996, 1997, and 1998 results. Findings indicate the following: public awareness of STW has grown significantly during the past 4 years; awareness of involvement in a regional partnership has grown; most Arizonans are satisfied with the overall quality of public schools, but are least satisfied with those aspects of education that relate more closely to STW, and are in favor of changes in public schools that support STW outcomes; and many Arizonans are skeptical that STW "can work." Clear majorities of Arizonans support STW on every indicator of support measured, including the following: willingness to pay taxes to support STW; willingness to vote for pro-STW elected officials; identification of STW participation as "very important" in the lives of students; indication that one would change schools to allow a child to participate in STW; and support to include STW in the state's budget.
One component of a multi-faceted evaluation of the state's STW initiative is the evaluation of public awareness and opinions of STW as a concept and a vehicle for education reform. In spring 1996, a statewide public poll of parents, businesses and educators was conducted to establish baseline measures of public attitudes toward STW prior to widespread implementation in the schools. In fall 1996, Arizona public school counselors were surveyed as an additional constituent group. This paper highlights findings from the state's baseline study of counselors' opinions toward STW -- especially as compared with the opinions of other constituent groups.
A study explored the issue of fiscal agency and its relationship to planning and implementing school-to-work (STW) systems to inform stakeholders in Arizona's emerging STW system about other states' experiences. A review of the STW Internet Gateway yielded a subset of states based on factors such as their history in implementing STW and similarities to Arizona. Interviews were conducted via telephone, fax, or e-mail with 61 individuals in 20 states. Participants were asked to relate their experiences with and as fiscal agents, how fiscal agents were chosen, and strengths and weaknesses of a particular type of fiscal agency. STW partnerships used four types of fiscal agents: educational institutions; training institutions; business and labor organizations; and "other" organizations. Effective fiscal agents had the following characteristics: existing mechanisms/structures, neutrality, experience in federal grant management, skill in fostering involvement, philosophy, and accessibility/central location. Educational institutions offered the advantages of being accustomed to handing federal monies and familiar with state-level policies and procedures. A major drawback was that their use contributed to "turf" issues. The other three types had geographic and size advantages, were able to coordinate function in multiple school districts, and were able to handle workload and manage cash flow. A disadvantage was a lack of knowledge regarding how schools operate.
Arizona seventh-grade students were polled in 1997, 1998, and 1999, to determine the extent of their participation in career awareness and exploration activities, the impact that the activities have had, and how they were delivered. Survey results provided evidence of systemic change in the regional school-to-work (STW) partnerships. Further, data suggested that the way career awareness activities are delivered makes a difference in their effectiveness. The comparative survey conducted in 1999 supported the contention that STW students differed from their classmates and that STW made a difference for students. The regional analysis compared randomly selected classrooms over 3 years. Changes between 1997 and 1999 were measured in participation metrics and the role of adult mentors. The relative share of students who had at least some idea of their career interests was consistently high (86.8 percent). The mean number of STW activities per pupil increased significantly and the share of students participating in five types of activities rose. A key finding supported over the 3-year period was that students who participated in a variety of activities were better able to identify their career interests. The role of adult mentors intensified. The share of students who talked to adults about careers, and who discussed careers with a counselor, increased significantly between 1997-99.