The government needs to support ways to encourage American Indians to become teachers so they can return to teach in their tribes and pueblos, Garcia said.
The law also disregards tribal sovereignty by forcing schools to adhere to state academic standards, said Samantha Pasena, a recent graduate of the Santa Fe Indian School.
The legislation is a priority for President Bush, who pushed for its initial passage in 2001.
The law has been widely scorned by teachers who argue it does not provide schools the money needed to meet federal standards.
A majority of Americans want the law to be renewed as it is or with minor changes, according to a poll released July 30 by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Education Next, a publication of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
- Associated Press
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