Our Intrepid Journey - Principalship 101

MICHELLE: Today we headed out bright and early to the Ak Chin reservation about an hour out of Phoenix City.  Driving through the res there were definite parallels for me with state housing areas in New Zealand in the 80s.  The houses all looked the same but the land is barren with no grass and very little foliage.  There were elements which reflected hardship and poverty but there was beauty in the rawness of the landscape.  We arrived at the Ak Chin Indian Community Education Centre and Library to meet with Dr Jeff Thornburg, the Education Director, and Stephanie, the Manager of the 'Head Start Programme' (preschool education center promoting native language learning).  Discussion was heavily focussed on the importance of language, identity and culture and the aspirations of language revitalisation and the barriers encountered on the journey of their people in this area.  The conversation was rich, informative and inspiring.  The barriers faced by th...

MICHELLE: Travel Day - Up at the crack of dawn to have breakfast and head to the airport.  Flew to Phoenix Arizona.  After probably the hardest landing I've ever experienced in a plane, we made our way to the car rental place on a sky train.  As we walked to the sky train we met a group of university students who were travelling in their Uni Golf Team to a tournament.  When we asked them about school, they thought the education system served them well and were happy with what's on offer in the States.  On the train we struck up a conversation with a couple who were visiting family from New York.  We asked them about the school system here and what they thought of it - they didn't think much of the system.  Why?  School's not for everyone and benefits some more than others.  By the time we settled into the hotel, we went to dinner and headed home preparing for our up and coming talanoa.  Can't wait to get started! A different city in a ve...