Administrators:
Deadline to be properly certified is July 1

By July 1, 2008, all school administrators in South Dakota must be properly certified by the South Dakota Department of Education. The requirement stems back to legislation passed in 2004.

By now, any non-certified administrators should be on a plan to become certified. Certification can be achieved by completing an approved school administrator program by the deadline. If an individual needs additional years to complete this program, he or she can opt to take the Praxis test “Educational Leadership: Administration & Supervision.” By passing this test, the individual gains two years (July 2010) to complete the school administrator program. The individual also may continue to serve in his or her current capacity until July 2010.

Individuals who plan to resign or retire by July 2008 have the option of signing a waiver, noting their intent.

For more information, visit http://doe.sd.gov/oatq/noncertified/Noncertadmins.asp  or call Lanette Johnston, Department of Education, at (605) 773-8415. lanette@johnston@state.sd.us.