Education

Native American leaders in South Dakota are raising private funds and developing their own schools in an effort to improve educational outcomes for Native students who have trailed their white peers in all academic measures for generations in the state K-12 public school system.

A bill now under consideration by the state Legislature seeks to find the right balance in assessment of juvenile offenders to determine which should be sent back to school and which should be sent to jail. Developing a suitable assessment tool and process has proven challenging as school officials say they are handling too many delinquents but advocates for reform at the same time push for greater alternatives to juvenile incarcerations.

The ongoing teacher shortage in South Dakota public schools is worsening at a time when political pressure on educators is rising, the teaching profession has been devalued by some government officials, and Gov. Kristi Noem has proposed a reduction in new education funding for 2023-24 compared to 2022-23. Meanwhile, colleges and school districts are seeking their own solutions to encourage young people to enter the teaching profession.

Those who want all American schoolchildren to have access to free meals at school are looking to the U.S. Congress for the authorization and money to pay for the meals. But for now, no firm plan exists in Washington, D.C. to get universal free meals approved.

A federal program that provided free meals to all American schoolchildren during COVID-19 has ended, causing more students than usual to go hungry in South Dakota schools. Many families, already enduring inflation, are having a harder time affording food for their children or buying them meals at school. Schools and teachers are doing their best to keep students healthy and fed.

South Dakota continues to suffer from the so-called "brain drain," in which high school and college graduates leave the state and take their skills and talents with them. But a new scholarship program and other efforts are giving hope that more educated, talented young people will stay in the state where they grew up.

A panel of education experts convened by South Dakota News Watch on June 16, 2022 said teachers in the state are doing a good job of teaching children, and do not deserve the recent criticism and political stress that are making a hard job even tougher, and which are adding to a shortage of teachers across the state.

Some of the most contentious legislation and debate surrounding what is taught in South Dakota public school classrooms has its origin in model legislation and language put forth by national political operatives and commentators. Education officials in South Dakota say the recent attempts to influence classroom standards and curricula are part of a larger political narrative that is not reflective of what is happening in public schools here.

Three retired classroom teachers from South Dakota say they are worried about how increasing political and cultural pressure placed on public education will affect the ability of teachers to teach and their willingness to remain in the profession they love. Part three of a 3-part series.

The shortage of teachers in South Dakota has gotten worse in recent years as classroom educators have increasingly felt the pull of politics and the ongoing culture wars add new stress to an already difficult job. As criticism of teachers mounts, and questions about curriculum become more common, some experts worry the public education system in South Dakota may begin to falter. This is Part 1 of a two-part series.