The following is an interview with Santa Fe Indian School's principal, Felisa Guilbert.

Question: What was your previous job and background?

Answer: I have always been an educator. I taught language arts, social studies and reading at the high-school and middle-school levels. I was born and raised in Palau, an island nation in the South Pacific. I attended the University of Guam, and when offered the opportunity to come to New Mexico and learn of the rich cultures here, I came to Santa Fe in the winter of 1972 and began work on my undergraduate degree in education at The College of Santa Fe. I have a master's of education from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Question: What are the main issues facing Santa Fe Indian School?

Answer: At SFIS, we want to help students achieve in all aspects of education, in the cognitive as well as the affective domain. We have established a team approach with teachers, counselors and dormitory staff, at all grade levels, so that our students may develop academically and become respectful and responsible members of their communities. We are a Pueblo school, and we endeavor to teach Native American values along with academic skills. As director of instruction (principal), I also want SFIS to maintain our high graduation and attendance rates, and continue to assure that our students graduate proficient in all core school subjects.

Question: How do you connect with the student body?

Answer: At Santa Fe Indian School, each faculty member mentors a group of students whom they advise academically. I have a mentor group that I will follow through the grades at SFIS, and to these students I become very attached. I meet with all new students and I also make it a point to schedule class meetings to talk and listen to all of the students concerning school expectations and academic goals. I attend many athletic and extra-curricular events to show SFIS students that I am interested in their achievements beyond the classroom. We give each and every student a small gift and a personalized card at holidays to show our appreciation of their efforts. We also reward academic achievement, significant progress, attendance and citizenship. I write letters to the parents of individual students to praise academic achievement and good behavior. I take the time to listen to students and address their needs, both individually and in groups. I also take the time to work with the Parent Advisory Council and Board of Trustees to involve community members in the life of the school. I attend community meetings in the pueblos that send students to our school, and I visit students and their families in their homes. Finally, because I come from an indigenous island culture myself and learned English as a second language, I believe I can relate to our students in their cross-cultural challenges.

Question: Who is your role model?

Answer: I have many role models, from my family members, friends, college professors, colleagues and supervisors, to our students at SFIS. I feel I learn from the admirable qualities of each person with whom I work. My father is the person I admire most. He was direct, honest and firm, but also kind, compassionate and loving.

Question: What do you think of the No Child Left Behind Act?

Answer: I agree very strongly that no child should be left behind in class, in school or in life, but I have serious concerns about how NCLB has been implemented, particularly regarding the limitations of what testing can actually assess about how well a student or school is actually doing.

Question: What were you like in high school?

Answer: I was a hardworking student because my father expected me to excel. But in order to attend high school — there was no high school on my island — I had to live with relatives in the city. In order to help pay my way, I had extra household duties in addition to schoolwork. I attended a strict Catholic school, and there they also demanded that students complete chores around the school. Actually, I was a "tomboy" and didn't want to do what I considered "girl" activities, so I got into mischief at times.

Eli Garduño is a senior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach him at contrast90@hotmail.com.