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TAHLEQUAH, OK - The new Executive Director of the Cherokee Nation's Education Division speaks the language of a visionary, but he's got a rock solid plan to place the Cherokee Nation education system among the elite in the world. "I want to build a school that is so good that Native American kids from California and Arizona are knocking down the doors to get in to Sequoyah High School. Local kids should be saying to themselves 'Oh my gosh, I get to go to the Harvard of Indian Schools,'" said Dr. Dusty Delso, who starts work June 1.

To accomplish that goal, Dr. Delso has a plan that encompasses all age groups. "This is the most fertile opportunity I can imagine. We have the chance to develop comprehensive program with the resources and people available that would be the best ever for Native Americans, or anyone period. We can start our education at a pre-natal level, and, with a comprehensive program, educate that child through high school and beyond."

Delso's goal is two-fold. "I want to have our students to the point where they can compete academically with any school in the country. Equally important is doing that in such a way that Cherokee culture is preserved and enhanced. The key is getting kids when they are little and getting them used to learning. That way they expect excellence."

Delso also has ideas about alternative sources of funding. "We have to spend more money to provide the highest quality of education. I've got ideas for outside funding sources that could increase our budget tremendously without costing the Cherokee Nation any additional dollars."

Dr. Delso previously worked as a principal in the Jenks, Muskogee and Kellyville school systems. He has a Ph.D in Educational Administration and Research from the University of Tulsa.