SD DOE Press Release

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For Immediate Release: March 18, 2005
Contact: Mary Stadick-Smith - (605) 773-7228

New Academy Aims to Support, Retain First-Year Teachers

The Department of Education will host an academy for teachers who have completed their first year in the classroom, Gov. Mike Rounds announced today. Called the Governor’s New Teacher Academy, the seminar is designed to support first-year teachers and to help them establish solid networks with colleagues.

“Some estimates say that, as a nation, we lose 40 to 50 percent of our teachers in their first five years in the profession,” Gov. Mike Rounds said. “The New Teacher Academy is designed to combat that loss by supporting our new teachers and giving them opportunities to share their successes and challenges with one another.”

The Governor’s New Teacher Academy will be held June 1-3 at two locations: Black Hills State University in Spearfish and Dakota State University in Madison. During the three-day academy, participants will discuss topics such as student engagement and achievement. The participants also will have opportunities to collaborate with experienced award-winning teachers.

The academy is made possible by the EveryTeacher grant, which is a collaborative effort of the South Dakota Department of Education, the South Dakota Board of Regents, and Technology & Innovation in Education, a nonprofit group that serves as a resource for educational communities. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

First-year teachers interested in attending the academy can contact the Department of Education at (605) 773-4669.