As we look to South Dakota’s future, it is critical that we engage top-notch educators in school administration roles. To that end, I invite you to nominate one of your outstanding teacher-leaders to attend an Aspiring School Leaders Retreat, April 26-27, in the Black Hills.

The retreat is designed for teachers viewed as strong candidates for school administration roles. It affords participants an opportunity to learn about school leadership roles, reflect on their careers, and consider a pathway leading to administration. The event is a joint effort of School Administrators of South Dakota, TIE, and the Department of Education.

This year the retreat will be held at the K-Bar-S Lodge near Keystone. The retreat, including lodging and meals, is free of charge to those selected to participate. The teacher’s school district will be responsible for travel costs to and from the retreat and the costs of a substitute teacher.

Please visit with potential nominees at the earliest opportunity and encourage them to complete an application by March 25. An agenda for the retreat and the application form for the nominee can be found on the Aspiring School Leaders website at https://www.tie.net/asl.

The retreat is limited to 30 participants. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by April 1. Questions can be directed to Dr. Ryan Young at ryoung@tie.net or 605-394-1876.

I appreciate your consideration of this request.

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. A summary of the proposed changes is as follows:

• ARSD 24:05 (Special Education) The effect of the rules will be to expand the age range for developmental delay, revise criteria and title for emotional behavioral disability, clarify graduation provisions, remove the use of school psychological examiners, and clarify and update language. The reason for adopting the proposed rules is to provide clarity and improve services to students with developmental delays and emotional behavioral disabilities.
• ARSD 24:28 (Educator Certification) The effect of the rules will be to repeal the school psychological examiner endorsement. The reason for adopting the proposed rules is to eliminate an endorsement that South Dakota does not have a preparatory program for and eliminate an endorsement that is not required or give additional authority.
• ARSD 24:53 (Educator Preparation) The effect of the rules will be to remove the school psychological examiner from the definitions to align with revisions proposed to ARSD 24:28. The reason for adopting the proposed rules is to ensure definitions align across chapters.

Workforce Education Grant applications [https://doe.sd.gov/cte/documents/WEG-Flyer-22.pdf] 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 [https://doe.sd.gov/cte/weg.aspx] or email Jamie Boettcher [Jamie.boettcher@state.sd.us].

The South Dakota Week of Work will take place April 11-15. Resources are available on the Schools page [https://weekofwork.sd.gov/schools.aspx] of the Week of Work website [https://weekofwork.sd.gov/] to help educators and 10th and 11th grade students prepare for an engaging week of local in-person activities aimed at exploring career opportunities.

Need help planning activities? Email sdweekofwork@state.sd.us for tips or to connect with local resources.

Live panel discussions with business and industry leaders from across the state will also be held virtually.

Monday, April 11, will be an opportunity to engage your students in classroom activities to help them make the most of the week. Need ideas? Check out the resources on the Week of Work website [https://weekofwork.sd.gov/schools.aspx].

Tuesday through Thursday, April 12-14, students will be able to participate in live 40-minute panel discussions at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT. Panels will encompass six broad areas: agriculture, business, manufacturing and construction, public service, private sector service, and science. Each panel will feature representatives from a variety of related career clusters. Panel discussions will also be recorded and made available for later viewing. Keep an eye on the 2022 Schedule webpage [https://weekofwork.sd.gov/schedule.aspx] as plans develop.

Videos from businesses spotlighting various careers within their respective organizations are also available via the 2022 Schedule webpage.

Does your school already have robust work-based learning programs in place? Kudos to you! Consider using this week to celebrate everything you have done to prepare students for their next steps.

Whatever you do during this exciting week, please share your photos and success stories by using #SDWeekofWork on social media or email them to sdweekofwork@state.sd.us.

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 [https://doe.sd.gov/oatq/adminrulewaivers.aspx]. 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
[https://state-sd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vfuqupjMtHtTtP66U1HAClz2fWYeHk52M]
April 1, 10-11 a.m. CT
[https://state-sd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAoceCgrD8iH9yPxl8Q2E-QMU5wORtNCrL6]

Using a Trauma Lens to Support Your Students
[https://www.eventbrite.com/e/using-a-trauma-lens-to-support-your-students-tickets-265307059557]
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
[https://sdspd2022.eventbrite.com/]

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
[https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/Meetings.aspx?BoardID=16]

TIE Conference
April 4-5, Sioux Falls
[https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=14226]

Board of Education Standards
April 7, Mitchell
[https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/Meetings.aspx?BoardID=32]

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
[https://www.sdhsf.org/2022-history-conference-registration-page.html]

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

ExCITE! 2022 (formerly School Library Boot Camp)
July 2022, online
[https://sites.google.com/view/learnleadsdslschlib/courses/excite]

Top 20 Training
July 21-22, Oacoma
[https://doe.sd.gov/pressroom/educationonline/2022/03/documents/Top20Training-0122.pdf]