Kari McKay, assistant principal at Browning High School and a member of the Blackfeet Nation, credits her success to encouragement and support she received from a specialized program for American Indian educators. She greets students daily with positivity, aiming to inspire them regardless of their backgrounds.
Montana State University’s Indian Leadership Education and Development (ILEAD) program has played a significant role in supporting educators like McKay. The program offers opportunities for participants to earn advanced degrees in educational leadership while continuing their teaching careers. Since its start in 2006, more than 130 educators have graduated from ILEAD, which is housed in MSU’s College of Education, Health and Human Development.
A new $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education will fund the recruitment and enrollment of 30 new students over the next five years. According to Jason Cummins, ILEAD program director, the latest group will begin studies in the spring and most are expected to complete their degrees within two years.
This is the fifth time that ILEAD and its partner institution Little Big Horn College have received federal funding for this initiative. The last cohort graduated in 2019 with support from a $1.3 million grant.
Students who commit to working as administrators in school districts with large populations of American Indian students receive full coverage for tuition, fees, books, and summer housing stipends through ILEAD. Approximately 90% of graduates since 2009 have taken on leadership roles—such as superintendents or principals—in schools serving Native communities across the Northern Plains region.
McKay described how her participation in ILEAD provided essential training: “I’m teaching these kids that just because you come from this kind of background, whether it’s poverty or trauma, that doesn’t have to define who you become,” she said. “They see that somebody from our community has succeeded and think, ‘I can do that too.’”
Reflecting on representation in education leadership roles during her upbringing, McKay stated: “When I look back on my educational journey as I was growing up, I don’t remember any Native American administrators,” she said. “It’s important to promote and encourage Native leadership. I plan to retire one day, and it would be nice to know there are more Native leaders coming behind me to continue this legacy.”
Jason Cummins emphasized the long-term professional connections fostered by the program: “Anybody who’s been through MSU’s leadership program will tell you that the professional network they create lasts for decades,” he said. “The connections they make continue, and iron sharpens iron. In administrative roles you assist one another, and that’s leadership.”
Calli Rusche-Nicholson—a member of the Fort Peck Nakoda tribe who completed ILEAD alongside her mother—now directs Indigenous education for Billings Public Schools. She spoke about how family tradition influenced her decision to join ILEAD: “My grandma was very proud of us, seeing my mom and me graduate with our master’s degrees. She said, ‘Now you two need to get your doctorates,’” Rusche-Nicholson said.
Rusche-Nicholson now works on peer mentorship programs for Native students and implements Montana’s Indian Education for All Act within Billings Public Schools curriculum—a city noted as having Montana’s largest population of urban Indigenous students.
“ILEAD’s new grant will be an amazing asset for our Indigenous educators ready to take that next step… Both are important to ensure that our students are achieving at high rates and that we’re infusing Indian Education for All into all content areas across the state,” Rusche-Nicholson added.
McKay noted both personal growth and career advancement following her involvement with ILEAD: “I’m indebted to ILEAD,” she said. “Without that program, I don’t think I would be where I’m at. I don’t think I would feel as successful as I feel.” Nine years after graduating from the program she was named Montana Assistant Principal of the Year for 2024-25.
