Theodore L. Hamilton named new RCIS superintendent
posted on June 5, 2012
Theodore “Ted” Hamilton is returning to the Pine Ridge Reservation.
It was announced this week that Hamilton has accepted the position of Superintendent of Red Cloud Indian School, succeeding Robert Brave Heart, Sr., who has held the post for the past nine years, and will be moving up to the position of RCIS Executive Vice-President.
Hamilton has worked in Indian education for over 25 years, since he took on the job of Oglala Lakota College archivist in 1986. He worked at the college for eight years, primarily in the position of library director. During his tenure, he wrote over $1,000,000 in grants for the institution, presented testimony to the US Senate describing the need for more funds for tribal libraries, created the first dial-access CD-ROM network in South Dakota, and worked to acquire funds to build the first public library for the reservation.
After leaving OLC, Hamilton continued work in tribal schools, including stints at Little Wound School and in the Todd County (Rosebud) School District. He then worked for ten years as Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium, which serves 23 schools and tribal colleges on eight South Dakota reservations.
Most recently, Hamilton has been the Superintendent of Tiospa Zina Tribal School in Sisseton, South Dakota. He has been concurrently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Administration through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All that remains is finishing his dissertation.
Outgoing superintendent Brave Heart expressed enthusiasm for the search committee’s choice, saying, "I have full confidence in Mr. Ted Hamilton's administrative ability to lead RCIS, and meet the challenges that lie ahead."
Hamilton and his wife have three sons, all of whom graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. His sons Grey and Elliot both graduated from Red Cloud High School.
Hamilton says he is excited to return to the Pine Ridge Reservation. His family has retained a home in Porcupine, and they will be moving back before he officially begins work in mid-July. Hamilton said, “I am looking forward to working with the Red Cloud family as I cherish the vision Red Cloud has built for their students.”
