Jason P. Dropik (Babaamii-Bines / Eagle Clan) is the School Administrator for the Indian Community School (ics-edu.org), in Franklin, WI, which serves Native students in the metro Milwaukee area. A member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (BadRiver-nsn.gov), Jason is committed to supporting students, families, staff, and the community both near and far. Having recently completed a two-year term as President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA.org), he advocated for and spoke on the importance of tribal sovereignty, policy, appropriations, and student support across the country. As a Board Member of NIEA, Jason continues with that work, championing training and providing information for schools and community organizations, while creating visibility and understanding of Indigenous perspectives. He is involved in many organizations throughout the state, doing his best to ensure that Native voices are present in diverse groups. He has served as a Board Member for the Wisconsin Association of Environmental Education (WAEE.org), an Advisory Council Member for the Midwest Environmental Advocates (MidwestAdvocates.org), and many other community organizations. He is a graduate of the Urban Indian American Indian Teacher Training Program from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2004). He holds a Master's Degree in Administrative Leadership from Concordia University (2017), and recently completed his Superintendent's License from UW-Milwaukee (2023). His greatest passion is creating spaces for Native students to develop their identity, take pride in their language and culture, and to celebrate the rich legacy and the promising future of Indigenous communities. Jason, along with his wife and children, share a home in Franklin, WI.   Show Highlights Retain and attract more leaders of color by understanding the leadership lens they look through. Training and information for schools to create visibility and understanding of indigenous and other marginalized perspectives. Create spaces where people feel valued, loved and appreciated for all that they bring.  Avoid forcing your students or staff to blend in by eliminating the “other” option. Take a seat at the table and avoid “being on the menu” to broaden perspectives. Designate affinity spaces for representation reflective of the communities that you serve.  Eliminate barriers to ensure diverse safe places that navigate challenging situations with balance. Join the BIPOC Mastermind specific for leaders of color to expand the room with a trusted environment to overcome isolation. “​​When you think about that perspective of what Asian Americans are experiencing as well as our African American and Hispanic Latino communities are still under-represented. There's progress made in some areas, in some communities, but overall, as a system, we're failing. We're failing our kids and failing those communities that continue to have strong advocates that are supporting kids, but also don't have the shared experience that some people do that come from marginalized communities.” -Jason Dropik Jason’s Resources & Contact Info: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/bipoc/ Twitter Linkedin Read my latest book! Learn why the ABCs of powerful professional development™ work – Grow your skills by integrating more Authenticity, Belonging, and Challenge into your life and leadership.   Read Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader today! Apply to the Mastermind The mastermind is changing the landscape of professional development for school leaders.    100% of our members agree that the mastermind is the #1 way they grow their leadership skills.   Apply to the mastermind today!   SHOW SPONSORS: HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard’s online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort