The goal of the TOY program is to recognize and honor the tremendous contributions of outstanding classroom teachers. Note: a classroom teacher is a person who has a class of his/her own and spends at least three or more hours per day, five days a week, for six or more calendar months during a school year in a classroom teaching students. School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers are NOT eligible.
A school district may choose to set up its own selection process for choosing a District Teacher of the Year, or use guidelines created by the Department of Education. The guidelines can be altered to fit a district s needs.
A District TOY candidate who wishes to be considered for Region and State Teacher of the Year must:
- be a fully certified teacher;
- be employed by a South Dakota accredited school district - pre-kindergarten through grade twelve;
- have at least 3 full years of teaching experience;
- be planning to continue in an active teaching status (supervisory and administrative responsibilities are secondary considerations) for at least 2 more years;
A District TOY candidate who wishes to be considered for Region and State Teacher of the Year should:
- Have a superior ability to inspire students of ALL backgrounds and abilities to learn;
- Be an exceptionally skilled and dedicated classroom teacher;
- Have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues;
- Play an active and useful role in the community as well as in the school; and
- Be poised, articulate, and have the energy to withstand the demanding schedule that would accompany selection as the South Dakota Teacher of the Year.
Each District Teacher of the Year becomes a nominee for his or her district's Regional Teacher of the Year Award. If the District TOY is selected as the Regional TOY, he or she becomes a nominee for the South Dakota TOY. If chosen as the South Dakota TOY, he/she then becomes a candidate for the National TOY. The National Teacher of the Year selection is not completed until the following Spring, so in order for a District TOY to be eligible for Region TOY and South Dakota TOY they must plan to be an active teacher for at least two more school years.
