The Board of Education Standards will hold a hearing on proposed changes to Administrative Rules 24:05, 24:28, and 24:53 at its meeting April 7 in Mitchell. The board is taking public comment on the proposed changes now. Visit rules.sd.gov and follow the Department of Education link to review the proposed rule changes and provide comment.

Workforce Education Grant applications are due March 31. These grants provide school districts and private, nonprofit entities that provide specialized training in South Dakota the opportunity to make transformative change in career and technical education programs. For more information visit the department’s Workforce Education Grants webpage or email Jamie Boettcher.

The South Dakota Week of Work will take place April 11-15. Resources are available on the Schools page of the Week of Work website to help educators and 10th and 11th grade students prepare for an engaging week of local in-person activities aimed at exploring career opportunities. Live panel discussions with business and industry leaders from across the state will also be held virtually.

2022 State Teacher of the Year Stephanie Ballard (Brookings, third from left) and Regional Teachers of the Year Koreen Hammel (Hot Springs), Barb Nicholas (Huron), Jenna Peters (Britton-Hecla), and Kristi Desaulniers (Tea Area) were in Pierre recently. They met with Governor Kristi Noem and were recognized in House and Senate chambers for their work. Kudos to these outstanding teachers!

Applications for waivers of administrative rule are due July 1 for the 2022-23 school year. These application forms have all been updated, so please make sure to use the most current version found on DOE’s Administrative Rule Waiver webpage. Common waivers include the Credit Before Grade Nine waiver, and the 3rd Year Plan of Intent waiver. All current waivers, and their expiration dates, by district may also be found on the webpage. Finally, all waivers must be addressed in your school improvement plan as well. Waiver questions should be directed to doeaccred@state.sd.us.

School Counselor Collaboration meetings
March 2, 2-3 p.m. CT
April 1, 10-11 a.m. CT

Using a Trauma Lens to Support Your Students
March 8, Pierre
March 22, Sioux Falls
May 3, Rapid City

English Learner Supports for State Academic Assessments: What is Allowable?
March 10, online

Attendance Trends and Student Performance
March 15, online

South Dakota Special Education Conference
March 15-16, Sioux Falls

SD-STARS Power User Training
March 29-30, Sioux Falls
April 5-6, Pierre
April 12-13, Rapid City
May 5, virtual follow-up meeting (included when registering for any of the above locations)

SD Advisory Panel on Children with Disabilities
March 31, Pierre

TIE Conference
April 4-5, Sioux Falls

Board of Education Standards
April 7, Mitchell

SD Regional Math Circles
April 8, Sioux Falls
April 9, Pierre
April 9, Rapid City

Secondary Grades and Writing with Multilingual Learners
April 19-20, Chamberlain

Title Programs Bimonthly Zoominars
April 19, June 21

South Dakota History Conference: Fighting the Good War
April 22-23, Pierre

Save the Date: MTSS Summer Education Conference
June 21-22, Oacoma

ExCITE! 2022 (formerly School Library Boot Camp)
July 2022, online

Top 20 Training
July 21-22, Oacoma