Latest news with #JoeGraves
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Dakota turned to paraprofessionals to attack a teacher shortage, and hundreds responded
Jaimie Bartman, a special education teacher for the Canistota School District, poses for a photo in her classroom on April 4, 2025. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Jaimie Bartmann planned to quit her job in education. She loved being a paraprofessional in the Montrose School District in southeastern South Dakota, but after nine years assisting teachers and students, she wanted to make a bigger impact. 'I felt limited,' Bartmann said. 'A family trusts you with their child — whether you're a paraprofessional or a teacher. But as a 'para,' you only assist them. I couldn't make suggestions or make changes I thought would help them.' A day after she made up her mind, but before she submitted her resignation, her district emailed her with an opportunity: the South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway. The 3-year-old state program allows full-time paraprofessionals to pursue a teaching degree online through Dakota State University in elementary or special education, or through Northern State University in secondary education at a steep discount while retaining their position. The program's mission is filling teaching vacancies in school districts across the state, which have worsened in recent years. More than 350 positions were unfilled in July 2024, weeks before the school year started, according to the Associated School Boards of South Dakota. There were 256 the same time in 2023, 225 in 2022 and 174 in 2021. The solution was to identify a group of people who otherwise wouldn't get into the profession who belong in it. – South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves is optimistic that the apprenticeship program will help. 'I'm hoping this year, because we've already graduated seven out of the program and believe we might be able to see another 56 to 60 graduate this spring, that would take a large whack out of the shortage,' Graves said. All seven graduates, including Bartmann, are working in classrooms as teachers or have contracts to begin teaching in a South Dakota school district in the fall. The program does not contractually require graduates to stay in the teaching profession or in South Dakota. The assumption is that paraprofessionals who've worked in the profession for years care about the children in their school, and have built their lives in the community where they work. 'The solution was to identify a group of people who otherwise wouldn't get into the profession who belong in it,' Graves said. The state Department of Education accepted Bartmann in its first cohort of 90 participants in 2023. Another 70 enrolled in the 2024 cohort. Up to 50 more will enroll in the next cohort this year. Bartmann moved from the Montrose School District to the nearby Canistota School District in the fall to teach special education for fifth through seventh graders. She taught her students under an advanced teaching certificate before earning her degree in December. Now she teaches 18 children. She works with two other special education teachers at the elementary and high school levels, and nine paraprofessionals. Her background is a strength, since 'paras are the heart' of special education. She knows the challenges paras face, and listens to them because she understands they see a different side of a student. 'I'm passionate about making sure that I'm fully taking care of a student emotionally and socially, while making sure I see them academically,' Bartmann said. Graves, with the state Education Department, said the future of the program is uncertain. It was originally intended as a one-time effort, using $815,000 in federal funds and about $446,000 in state funds. The program launched its second cohort under the state Department of Labor and Regulation in 2024 due to demand after the Legislature appropriated $800,000 of state funds for the program. The second cohort cost another $410,000 in funding from the department and $9,000 from the federal government. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor and Regulation said the third cohort will be funded with a combination of federal and state grants, though she said the exact amounts will be determined after the apprentices start their coursework. The federal funding will come from the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Building America grant. School districts pay $1,000 a year per employed apprentice. If federal funding is cut, Graves said, the program would end or universities might take it over. The department lost $58,178 in funds last month intended for the program, after the federal Department of Education dissolved approved extensions of COVID relief funding. South Dakota lost more than $5 million intended for several education programs. Graves questions whether the program should continue indefinitely, saying it could be abused to avoid a traditional, more expensive college education. State cancels teacher trainings for new social studies standards due to federal funding cuts Students are responsible for up to $1,000 a year in tuition, books and state assessments. Bartmann completed 81 credits of classes within 15 months, costing her a total of $1,500. Sometimes she took more than a full course load in a semester while working full time and raising one of her four children who's still at home. 'I'd go to school, come home, stay up until 2 a.m. studying and doing homework, sleep until 6 a.m. and then go back to work,' Bartmann said. 'Weekends were focused on studying to get done faster.' Instead of discontinuing the program entirely, she wonders if it could be limited to paraprofessionals who've been in the field for a few years. Experienced paras would be less likely to use the pathway as an alternative to the traditional college courses, she said, and the people who would apply would be committed, yet could be financially limited and likely to have obligations — such as children — that might prevent them from pursuing a traditional degree. Less than four months after earning her degree, Bartmann is already considering earning another degree or certification to improve her teaching. After most workdays, she walks through the school hallways, looking at the colorful student artwork on display and feeling grateful for the new life breathed into her career. At 46, she has colleagues her age who've been teaching for two decades and are planning ahead for retirement. 'I have to pack all those years of experience and impact they made into the years I've got left,' Bartmann said. 'I want to reach as many students as I can.' Aside from the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway, the state Department of Education and school districts have made other investments to alleviate the teacher shortage in the state, according to Secretary Joe Graves. South Dakota lawmakers and the governor approved $500,000 for the creation of a statewide student-teacher stipend program this session. The state Department of Education can use the money to provide grants of up to $5,000 per school district, for payment to one or more student-teachers. The program is intended to keep South Dakota school districts competitive with other states. 'Where you begin your teaching profession is often where you continue it,' Graves said. School districts can also establish student teachers as the 'teacher of record,' meaning the student is the main teacher for a classroom, developing lesson plans and instructing students. If a student teacher becomes the 'teacher of record,' a district is required to pay them, Graves said. Student teachers who are paid and regarded as an official teacher of record, he added, are more likely to commit to the district after they graduate, Graves said. School districts across the state are increasingly employing teachers from different countries under working visas. The state Department of Education offers an International Exchange Teacher Permit. About 50 public school districts had international teachers on staff in 2024, according to the department. The department was a major player in passing legislation in 2024 requiring school districts to meet a minimum teacher salary and increase teacher compensation yearly based on increased funding in state aid. 'We saw immediately that a bunch of school districts moved their minimum teacher salary up, even though the requirement is not going into effect until next year,' Graves said. The state department's mentoring program connects a veteran educator to a new teacher to help guide them through challenges in their first few years of the profession. The first five years is 'really the test,' Graves said. When new teachers are mentored, there's a 15% increased chance they'll stay within the profession. Educators Rising is a career interest group working to entice high school students to become South Dakota educators. The group holds a 'sign up day' similar to athletes for high school members dedicated to earning their teaching degree. The South Dakota Board of Regents approved a program last year to give high school students a jump-start toward their teaching degree by taking career-specific dual credit courses that will count toward a college degree and high school graduation. Graves said the department has worked to streamline the teacher certification reciprocity process, getting out-of-state teachers employed at local school districts more quickly.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State cancels teacher trainings for new social studies standards due to federal funding cuts
Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves speaks to educators at the Civics and History Summit in Sioux Falls on June 12, 2023. (Courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Education) South Dakota officials said history road trips and summits would help educators prepare to teach an extensive and controversial overhaul of state social studies standards. But months before the new standards will be implemented in schools, the events are canceled due to federal funding cuts. Other summer programs for students and educators are suspended, including career exploration camps for middle schoolers that were expected to serve 600 students. State Education Department officials did not say whether the suspended programs will be reinstated at a later date. Department spokeswoman Nancy Van Der Weide said the department will work to balance fiscal responsibility with 'our equally important priority of providing South Dakota's K-12 students with the best educational opportunities available.' Public school advocates worry about lack of planning as Trump moves to close US Education Department States and school districts can resubmit requests for the federal funding, which was provided as pandemic relief and then extended by the Biden administration. But the projects will be more strictly reevaluated by the Trump administration based on how they address the effects of COVID-19 on students, according to the federal Department of Education. The state has not told South Dakota Searchlight if the department plans to reapply. East Dakota Educational Cooperative contracted with the state to organize the Civics and History Summit and History Road Trip. The state used federal funds to pay for the events each of the past two years, but the federal Department of Education canceled $2.8 million in funding to pay for this year's events. Sisseton School District Superintendent Tammy Meyer said students and teachers in her district have participated in the programs in the past. 'I've seen the excitement of staff to attend the summit and road trips to bring back those experiences and to teach their students what they've learned. I've seen the impact of these career summer camps on students,' Meyer said. 'It's unfortunate the staff and students who anticipated attending those may not have those opportunities this summer.' As of April 7, Trump administration funding cuts affecting South Dakota's state government totaled nearly $10 million. More than half of those cuts — over $5 million — have impacted the state Department of Education. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified state education departments in a March 28 letter that COVID-19 federal relief funds would expire that day, instead of in March 2026. The change impacts the final payouts of the American Rescue Plan Act's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Congress approved $189.5 billion in ESSER funding during the pandemic to help schools recover from pandemic setbacks and expenses. Surprise guest shows up as U.S. House Dems slam education cuts: the Education secretary South Dakota was awarded $593.4 million, according to the federal pandemic oversight website. The funds were intended for the state department and individual school districts. The awards' obligation deadline was set for the end of September 2024, but some entities, including the state department, requested extensions to spend remaining funds. Extensions were granted by the Biden administration, until they were recently revoked by the Trump administration. McMahon said in the letter that an extension to spend remaining funds 'was not justified.' 'Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department's priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion,' McMahon wrote. Schools could spend the funds on programs and improvements to address student needs, including summer classes, extended programs, educational software, mental health services, indoor air quality improvements and building renovations. All projects were subject to approval by the state Education Department. Three South Dakota school districts were impacted by the loss of extended funds. Sisseton lost $448,071, Iroquois lost $69,662, and Armour lost $9,061, according to the Bureau of Finance and Management. Sisseton was awarded a total of $11.7 million in ESSER funds over its three phases, using the money to renovate its high school building and classrooms, replace its roof, and purchase school buses and student laptops, among other programs and improvements, Meyer said. Some of its lost funding was due to unused funds, but about $319,000 was renovation spending that had yet to be reimbursed. Meyer said she's working with the state department to resubmit its extension request. Otherwise, the $319,000 will have to come out of the district's own budget, which might cause a postponement other projects. 'It's late in the budget year,' Meyer said, 'so a lot of our projects have already been assigned and established for this budget.' Beyond the history summit and road trip, another $2.37 million in extended funding would have supported middle school career summer camps, mentoring academies for teachers and a state website listing open teaching positions in the state. The Associated School Boards of South Dakota also hosts a website for educator openings. According to the South Dakota Board of Regents, the Dakota Dreams summer career exploration camps served 1,800 middle school students between 2023 and 2024. Another 600 students were expected to attend camps this summer in nursing, health sciences, education, law enforcement, cyber operations, computer science, engineering and more. The state's teacher apprenticeship pathway, which allows paraprofessionals to earn a teaching degree for a reduced rate while working full time, lost $58,178 in federal funding. The state Jobs for America's Graduates program, which helps struggling middle and high school students complete their education, lost $88,414. The state Department of Education hasn't responded to questions about the fate of the two programs. The South Dakota Board of Education Standards approved social studies standards changes in 2023 after almost two years of controversy over their age appropriateness, feasibility and the scope of Native American history included. Shortly after, then-Gov. Kristi Noem and South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves said students 'will be taught the best social studies education in the country' and be equipped 'with the solid grounding in history and civics they need to exercise their role as citizens.' 'The department stands ready to support that implementation with professional development and standards-aligned resources,' Graves said at the time. State board approves controversial social studies standards on 5-2 vote Rob Monson, executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota, said educators 'were counting' on the professional development opportunities this summer. 'A lot of districts were looking forward to having conversations at the history summit and road trip locations to get clarity on the new standards,' Monson said. 'It's unfortunate for those who would attend and those who would benefit.' The civics and history event cancellations won't affect the social studies standards implementation this fall, Van Der Weide said. 'We've successfully hosted these programs within the past two years and continue to offer implementation support for our educators,' she said, adding that the department provides standards-aligned books and resources along with a weekly social studies curriculum to South Dakota classrooms. The funding cuts compound existing worries public school advocates have surrounding the uncertainty of education funding. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March directing McMahon to dismantle her department and 'return education authority to the states.' The move followed a 50% reduction in department staff. In an interview with South Dakota Searchlight, Graves said he doesn't see the move to dismantle the federal Department of Education 'negatively impacting South Dakota.' 'I think some people have had some real concerns about what's going on at the federal level,' Graves said. 'The truth is, I don't see it having much of an impact or causing that much change for us other than returning decision-making to the state level where constitutionally, pragmatically and ideally it would remain.' Canceled extensions of federal pandemic assistance funding to the South Dakota Department of Education impacted numerous grants and contracts. Lost funding includes: $2.09 million contracted to East Dakota Educational Co-op to develop and organize the Civics and History Summit. $729,655 contracted to East Dakota Educational Co-op to organize and staff South Dakota educator history road trips. A $64,242 contract with East Dakota Educational Co-op to reimburse travel for participants who take part in the Teacher Leadership Academy. $27,748 contracted to Northern State University to teach companion courses for the South Dakota educator history road trips and the Civics and History Summit. $793,748 contracted to the South Dakota Board of Regents to organize and host summer middle school career camps. $147,000 contracted to the South Dakota Board of Regents to create the Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy. $58,178 contracted to the South Dakota Board of Regents to help operate the South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway. $626,236 of state Department of Education administrative funds. $307,525 contracted to Lake Area Technical College to establish a Career and Technical Student Center and employ a director and state adviser for South Dakota's Career and Technical Student organizations. $172,080 contracted to Salt Lake City-based Instructure to create a professional development platform for the state Department of Education. $131,989 contracted to Black Hills Special Services Cooperative to provide training and support to build a professional development platform. $92,528 contracted to TAESE through Utah State University to create, market and manage a statewide web-based employment system to improve teacher recruitment in South Dakota. $88,414 contracted to Aspire Learning to manage the Jobs for America's Graduates program. $58,178 contracted to the South Dakota Board of Regents to help run the South Dakota Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program. A $23,275 contract with Katie Anderson to write syllabi and provide transcription of credits through Dakota State University for AIM Institute for Learning & Research courses.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House OKs resolution on cell phones in schools
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — A state lawmaker wants school boards throughout South Dakota to develop and carry out policies regarding cell phones and other communications devices during instructional time. The resolution sponsored by Republican Rep. Kathy Rice received substantial support from the state House of Representatives on Tuesday. 24-year-old man arrested for homicide State Education Secretary Joe Graves told a legislative study committee last year that limiting cell phone usage has had a positive impact on the school day in the districts where controls had been put in place. But, he said, a statewide policy would need to respect local decisions so that schools could experiment. The 55-12 vote sends House Concurrent Resolution 6005 to the Senate for further action. The lead Senate sponsor is Republican Lauren Nelson, a long-time teacher and administrator. House members however had mixed feelings on another resolution they considered Tuesday. Republican Rep. Tina Mulally wanted the House to affirm South Dakota voters' rejection of CO2 pipelines last year and urge U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid interfering with the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline through exercise of federal eminent domain powers. But Republican Rep. William Shorma called for the defeat of House Concurrent Resolution 6004 defeat, saying it was redundant. The House vote was 34-33. That was two ayes short of the 36 majority needed for approval in the 70-seat House. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
