Latest news with #JourneyElementarySchool
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South Dakota rises to its highest-ever rank in teacher pay: 46th
Teacher Stephani Brooks works with a small group of students at Journey Elementary School in Sioux Falls on Dec. 5, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota ranks 46th in the nation for average teacher salaries — its highest standing since the National Education Association started ranking states in 1943, according to the South Dakota Education Association. The state previously reached 47th in the 2019 report for the 2017-18 school year, after South Dakota lawmakers approved a half-cent sales tax increase in 2016. The effort poured millions of dollars into school districts with the intent of raising average teacher salaries. The state fell to 50th by the 2021 report and ranked 49th in last year's report. South Dakota saw one of the greatest jumps in standing this year compared to other states, due to a 6% increase in salaries. During the 2022-23 school year, South Dakota's average teacher salary stood at $53,153. In the 2023-24 school year, the average teacher made $56,328. South Dakota Education Association President Loren Paul attributes that to increases in state aid to public education from state lawmakers. Legislators approved a 6% increase in 2022, 7% in 2023 and 4% in 2024. Those infusions were largely due to an influx of federal COVID-19 relief funds into the state budget. Lawmakers also established a minimum teacher salary for districts and tied teacher compensation requirements to state aid increases during the 2024 legislative session. Both were 'strong accountability measures' resulting in 'meaningful gains,' Paul said in a news release. Lawmakers approved a 1.25% increase in education funding this legislative session. The slight increase was approved due to lower-than-anticipated revenue and because COVID funding has run out. Paul warns the slight increase could cause teacher pay to fall further behind inflation. Adjusted for inflation, South Dakota teachers make less than they did a decade ago. 'While we see moving up in rank as good news, we are concerned that lawmakers will take their feet off the gas and salary increases will stall, forcing many teachers to leave the profession because they can't pay their bills,' Paul said. Compared to neighboring states, South Dakota's average teacher pay of $56,328 remains the lowest this year: North Dakota: $58,581. Minnesota: $72,430. Iowa: $62,399. Nebraska: $60,239. Wyoming: $63,669. Montana: $57,556. States that rank lower than South Dakota are Louisiana, West Virginia, Missouri, Florida and Mississippi (there are 51 spots in the rankings, due to the inclusion of Washington, D.C.). Mississippi's average teacher salary of $53,704 is the nation's lowest, according to the report, just a 0.7% increase compared to the previous year's salary. California reports the highest average salary at $101,084 — a 6.2% increase from last year. Oklahoma saw the largest percent change in its salaries at 10.5%, increasing to 35th ($61,330) from 43rd in the rankings. South Dakota's ranking for average starting salary improved to 25th in the nation, at $45,530, which is up from 27th in last year's report. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Education board votes to finalize embrace of phonics-based reading instruction for South Dakota
Students work on schoolwork at Harrisburg School District's Journey Elementary School in Sioux Falls on Dec. 5, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) It's out with the new and in with the old again for students in South Dakota's English and Language Arts classrooms. The South Dakota Board of Education Standards approved revisions to the English and language arts state standards Monday in Rapid City, aligning them with a once-abandoned instructional approach in hopes of improving students' declining reading scores. The revision follows a global debate — often called the 'reading wars' — about how best to teach children to read. One side advocates for phonics, which focuses on the relationship between sounds and letters. The other prefers a 'whole language' approach that puts a stronger emphasis on meaning, with some phonics mixed in. A phonics-based approach was widely used in the 20th century until a 'balanced literacy' approach that includes phonics but favors whole language gained favor in the 2000s. Noem's phonics literacy effort advances in Legislature Low reading scores in recent years led to a push to reconsider the merits of the phonics-based 'science of reading' methodology. Just under 50% of South Dakota students didn't meet English and language arts standards last year, according to the state report card. Studies in recent years have re-ignited interest in phonics as a learning tool, and one South Dakota school district presented results Monday that suggest it can work. Douglas School District leaders presented the district's increased literacy rates since implementing science of reading curriculum district-wide in 2021. Fifty-five percent of Douglas elementary students in the spring of 2019 did not meet expected standards for reading ability, according to district student assessments. The district made systemic changes, such as hiring instructional coaches and allowing all students to apply for Title I interventions, in addition to implementing science of reading methodology. In the same year the district implemented the science of reading strategy, rates above expected standards increased to 64% of students. That grew to 72% district-wide by the spring of 2024. 'Our teachers are working tirelessly to meet the needs of all students, and this success doesn't happen overnight,' said Ann Pettit, Douglas executive director of elementary curriculum and instruction. Board of Education Standards Board President Steve Perkins said the data shows 'things can be done' to address English and language arts proficiencies in the state. The state put $6 million toward training teachers in phonics during the 2024 state legislative session. Part of the funding will go toward courses to train teachers in phonics-based teaching methods, and some will be used to pay for a literacy conference on Science of Reading strategies. A $54 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development federal grant awarded, meanwhile, is set to help local school districts implement a phonics-based approach over the next five years. The grants will be awarded based on the number of low-income students in a district, and can be used for literacy coach salaries, teacher training or curriculum reviews. On Monday, Perkins said the changed standards are a 'big deal.' 'If kids can't read — or don't read to standard is a better way to put it — then we're shortchanging them,' Perkins said. The unanimous vote came after a fourth public hearing on the standards. Board members also approved optional content standards for computer science and the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings, which educate students on the culture and traditions of Indigenous South Dakotans. Survey says nearly two-thirds of SD educators use Indigenous standards Several opponents with connections to South Dakota's tribal nations borders spoke against the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings revisions. Opponents criticized the underrepresentation of Dakota and Nakota tribes in the revised standards, and said there should be a more concerted effort to involve tribes. 'The problem with this process is it was conducted without meaningful, reciprocal, formal tribal consultation,' said Sarah White, founder and executive director of the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition. White and others asked the board to hold off and reach out to tribal government leaders. But board members unanimously approved the revisions. South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves told board members the revision 'was not a rushed process,' and incorporated opinions from a 34-member review committee, as well as tribal education leaders on the Indian Education Advisory Committee. Perkins told opponents before casting his vote that the changes move the state in the 'right direction.' He added that he takes direction from Gov. Larry Rhoden to press 'reset' on tribal-state communications. 'What I hear is that what we may have isn't perfect, and we clearly need to work harder on communication,' Perkins said. The standards will be available for use by the South Dakota teachers who choose to teach them in fall 2026. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's not hard to figure out why young South Dakotans don't want to be teachers
A student works on schoolwork at Journey Elementary School in Sioux Falls on Dec. 5, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) The leader of South Dakota's public universities gave a telling answer recently when a legislator asked him why the higher education system isn't churning out enough teaching graduates. 'We're seeing a drop-off in interest,' said Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the Board of Regents. 'If you go back 10, 20 years and you look at the percentage of students that were coming and wanted to be teachers versus today, the interest is going in the wrong direction.' Gee, I wonder why. Maybe it's because South Dakota raised its state sales tax rate by a half-percentage point nine years ago, ostensibly to increase teacher pay, only to lose focus and let the state's average teacher salary slide back to 49th in the nation. South Dakota House advances bill policing bathroom use, but related ID bill fails SD House defeats gender identity notification bill and taxpayer-funded education lobbying ban SD Senate rejects property tax credits for nonpublic education options House defeats bill requiring South Dakota state motto or seal in classrooms Bill requiring posting, teaching of Ten Commandments fails in SD House Lawmaker loses vice chairmanship after trying to defund Huron schools over bathroom issue Full Education archive Maybe it's because in 2019, instead of solving real problems in education, lawmakers passed a bill that requires every public school in the state to display the national motto, 'In God We Trust.' Maybe it's because in 2022, then-Gov. Kristi Noem politicized the revision of social studies standards by disbanding the original working group and reappointing her own handpicked, ideologically aligned members. Maybe it's because last year, legislators passed a law mandating higher teacher pay without providing school districts any more funding than they typically receive. Maybe it's because this year, the governor is proposing a 1.25% increase in state funding for public schools, which is less than half the current rate of inflation. Maybe it's because public schools and their lobbyists had to fend off three bills so far this winter that would have diverted millions of dollars from public education and doled it out as various forms of vouchers for private school tuition, homeschooling and other nonpublic alternatives. Maybe it's because public schools and their lobbyists also had to fend off bills this winter that would have required displays of the Ten Commandments and the state motto, 'Under God, the People Rule,' in every public school classroom. Maybe it's because some legislators reacted to the defeat of the voucher bills and the Ten Commandments and state motto bills by trying, unsuccessfully, to punish school boards by barring them from using public funds to hire lobbyists. Maybe it's because a state representative — Phil Jensen, a Rapid City Republican — tried to defund Huron schools recently after somebody told him a transgender girl was using girls' bathrooms in the district. And maybe it's because another state representative — Brandei Schaefbauer, an Aberdeen Republican — is trying to create a law that would turn teachers and school administrators into bathroom police. Or perhaps it's because of the way some Republican legislators routinely demonize teachers, administrators, school boards and their lobbyists for having the audacity to seek adequate resources for public education. House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, sponsored one of the voucher bills and cosponsored the legislation to bar school boards from using public funds to hire lobbyists. During a recent Republican leadership press conference, he complained about the education lobby's influence. 'They come up with one answer to everything, and that's more money,' Odenbach said. In the state Senate, Republican Lauren Nelson of Yankton has been a legislator less than two months but is already aggravated about schools wanting additional funding. And she has teaching experience, although notably in private and homeschool settings in addition to public schools. 'The question I have is, when will the public schools have enough money?' Nelson blurted during a bill hearing recently. She was advocating for legislation that would have provided property tax credits for nonpublic educational costs. Nelson seemed to be railing against the public education establishment at large with no expectation of an answer, but I've got one for her: Enough money to rise out of 49th place in average teacher pay would be an obvious place to start. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That doesn't appear likely to happen this legislative session. A growing number of Republican legislators are openly hostile to public education and are on a mission to strip away its funding and redistribute it to nonpublic alternatives that operate with no accountability. Some of them are waging a holy war, motivated by an unconstitutional craving for taxpayer support of religious instruction. Those lawmakers should stop treating public education lobbyists like enemies of the state. School board members, administrators and teachers can't come to Pierre every winter, because they're busy trying to educate South Dakota's children. Public education lobbyists are their voices in the halls of power. One of those lobbyists is Rob Monson, a former teacher and principal from Parkston, who serves as executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota. 'Public education is absolutely what made this country what it is,' Monson told reporters recently. 'If we lose public education, we will lose this country.' 'And that is my core,' he continued. 'That is our belief as an association, that we will fight all we can and with every breath we have to protect the sanctity of public education where all students — no matter their color, race, economic status or disability — are welcome in our doors every single day.' What if the governor and every South Dakota legislator felt that way about public education and worked that hard to protect and support it? Maybe young South Dakotans would once again view teaching as a viable career path.
