Lynn Manning John

It long ago became cliché to label educators as “difference makers,” but just because it’s trite doesn’t mean it’s untrue. And there’s no better example of a difference-making educator than Lynn Manning John.

Look no further than Manning John’s recent efforts to secure state funding for a long-overdue new home for Owyhee Combined School, a K-12 institution that sits on the ancestral lands of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in northeastern Nevada, just below the southern border of Idaho.

Manning John’s lobbying of and testimony before the 82nd Nevada State Legislature in 2023 was hugely instrumental in the passage of Assembly Bill 519, which establishes provisions for capital projects in the state’s school districts. The measure passed both legislative chambers with near unanimous support. And folded into the bill was nearly $65 million in funding for the Elko County School District.

That’s the district that operates Owyhee Combined School. It’s the place where Manning John began her scholastic journey as a kindergartner, where she graduated in 1994, and where she had been serving as vice principal until June — when she was promoted to principal.

It’s also where recent students — most of them Native Americans — have been forced to attend classes in an archaic building that’s been standing for more than 70 years. One whose exterior is riddled with bullet holes, and whose interior has no air-conditioning, no screens covering the windows, and bat colonies residing in the ceilings.

On top of all that, the school’s remote location has never been within walking distance of the residential communities where its students live.

Soon, though, all of this will change. Because a good chunk of that $65 million in state funds from Assembly Bill 519 is being used to build a new state-of-the-art, easily accessible Owyhee Combined School. When it opens in a few years, current and future generations of Owyhee students will have — thanks in large part to Manning John’s hard work, passion, and dedication — the kind of educational leg up that eluded previous generations.

It’s all incredibly gratifying for Manning John. Not just because she’s now in charge of the school she attended throughout the formative years of her life, but because she is a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, having grown up on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. 

“I am humbled to have been involved in the efforts to lobby for and obtain legislation to build a new school for my community,” Manning John says. “It’s a legacy that will be felt by my community for years to come.”

Manning John’s tireless fight for a new school is but one of many instances in her career in which she has worked to make a transformational difference in the lives of young learners — particularly those from oft-ignored Indigenous communities.

For example, shortly after finishing her master’s at UNLV in 2004, Manning John was hired as project facilitator for the Clark County School District’s Indian Education Opportunities Program, becoming the first Native person to hold the position.

Manning John’s primary responsibility was to work with Clark County’s reservation communities — as well as the greater urban Indian population throughout Southern Nevada — to create programming and opportunities for Native students. She also was charged with spreading awareness about Native people — specifically Native people of Nevada.

More recently, Manning John reconnected with the UNLV College of Education on a workforce development program that’s designed to put Owyhee students on the path to professional success. Through the mutually beneficial partnership, students will learn valuable skills in such fields as community health, cybersecurity, social services, and education — all of which face critical employment shortages in Nevada — while at the same time gaining exposure to a world-class university they might someday choose to attend.

The fact that Manning John’s fingerprints are all over these (and countless other) initiatives that are designed to uplift a traditionally disenfranchised community — not to mention positively alter the futures of its people — is nothing short of inspiring. 

She indeed epitomizes the cliché “difference-making educator.” Which is why she was selected as the 2024 UNLV College of Education Alumna of the Year.

It’s an honor that Manning John is deeply grateful to receive. Just don’t expect her to sprain a shoulder patting herself on the back for all that she’s done.

“When it comes down to it, like everyone else from my community, I am a ‘rez kid’,” Manning John says, referencing her Native upbringing. “I try to stay grounded, not put myself above or before anyone, and support the efforts of the next generation. And when kids from that next generation succeed, I feel like I have succeeded.”

When did you first consider a career in education?

While pursuing my undergraduate degree at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, I enrolled in an education class and I took right to it. Both of my parents have degrees in education, so I guess you could say that being an educator runs in my blood.

After that first education class, that was it — I was going to be an educator.

What led you to UNLV to pursue your graduate degree?

I was a teacher at Marion Earl Elementary School [in southwest Las Vegas] and was approached by Joe Rekrut, my building principal, about applying for the UNLV Principal Cohort. I participated in an interview process and was one of about 20 individuals who were selected.

The cohort was comprised of teachers from across the Clark County School District and was designed to work with our schedules in mind. It proved to be a good fit for me.

Beyond academics, how would you describe your UNLV experience?

I really enjoyed my cohort and the relationships I made. I also enjoyed being part of UNLV’s Native American community. Kyle Ethelbah (Apache) was UNLV’s lead for Native students and was a great resource. Professor P. Jane Hafen (Taos Pueblo) was a staff member I admired. Also, I was involved in several events that UNLV hosted for Native students. 

Those Native students came to UNLV from across the region, so having the opportunity to engage and build community outside of our home communities was invaluable. As Native people in urban settings, we search each other out, and those relationships sustain and support us.

Your first job after graduating from UNLV was to lead the Clark County School District’s Indian Education Opportunities Program. In what ways did you leverage the program to educate non-Natives about your people and culture?

Most of CCSD’s teachers came from places other than Nevada, so they were largely unfamiliar with who we are as a people. So, I started visiting elementary schools and giving presentations. It wasn’t long before I was visiting two schools each day. Eventually, I decided I wanted to visit each of CCSD’s 360 elementary schools within two years, a time frame I knew was required to meet that goal. I also visited numerous middle and high schools.

At each presentation I tried to bridge the gap between the widely circulated black-and-white historical images of Natives that most non-Natives are used to seeing and the modern people who we are today. In doing this, I realized that most people had never met a Native person before, so I took both care and pride in representing our people positively and accurately. 

For instance, I made it a point to never show up in traditional Native regalia or play into stereotypes. I have never performed “Nativeness.” I show up as myself — Lynn, a newe mogo’ni (Shoshone-Paiute woman) — and I educate.

What has been your single greatest accomplishment in educational leadership? And, what is the biggest challenge/obstacle you’re still battling?

They’re actually one in the same: I am the lead administrator of the K-12 school where I both began kindergarten and graduated high school. I also serve the tribal community that I come from — the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribe. The future of my tribe is in my building. The next generation of tribal leaders are being educated in the school that I now lead. 

That is both a tremendous gift and a tremendous responsibility. 

A recent UNLV graduate who is about to embark on their career in educational leadership asks you for one “must do” and one “most don’t.” What’s your response?

The big “must do”: Look for the good and potential in every student. Because every kid is worthy, and every kid deserves your best.

The big “must don’t”: Never underestimate a kid based on their background. Always remember these two words: kids can — no matter where they come from or what their background is.

What does the phrase “Rebel Spirit” mean to you?

It means approaching life with a “can-do” attitude. Circumstances may not always lean in your favor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed or reach your goals. Rebel Spirit also means that sometimes you have to stand alone, but always remembering that you have it within yourself to be great.