Teach SD, Oct. 11, 2023

Oct. 11, 2023

Image of George Hawkins and SD Secretary of Education, Dr. Joseph Graves

Hawkins selected as 2024 South Dakota Teacher of the Year

George Hawkins of Sioux Falls named 2024 South Dakota Teacher of the Year.

Promoting student leadership in the classroom

Leadership programs prepare students to delegate, communicate, and negotiate for themselves and their team.

Image of South Dakota students participating in SPARK leadership event.

New CTSO student leadership opportunity available

Career and Technical School Organizations prepare students to lead.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

Understanding dyslexia is the first step to supporting students who have it.

Driver’s Education Endorsement

Northern State University is offering classes for teachers to add a Driver’s Education endorsement to their certificate. The courses are online and can be taken in the spring or summer of 2024. NSU application is now available.

Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy adds 3rd cohort

Two cohorts of the 2023-24 Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy are filled, and there’s enough funding to provide one more cohort! To accommodate this 3rd group, the application deadline has been extended to Oct. 15. In addition, the program’s eligibility requirements have been expanded to include teachers with 3+ years of experience (rather than 5+ years).

Teachers with 3+ years of experience can apply through Oct. 15 to participate in the final year of the Teacher Leadership Academy. It’s an amazing, and FREE, opportunity to earn three graduate credits, develop leadership skills, and explore administrative roles in schools.

Watch our Teacher Leadership Academy video to learn more about the program from academy faculty and last year’s participants. Other details can be found on our webpage at Our Dakota Dreams.

Apply for the Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy today and/or share this with anyone who might be a good candidate.

This section highlights upcoming professional development opportunities offered by the Department of Education. For a full list of trainings, visit DOE's new professional development platform at https://sded.sd.gov.

Data Based Individualization
Face to Face Training: Nov. 8-9 (9 a.m. - 4p.m. CT)
Ramkota Hotel, 920 W Sioux Ave, Pierre, SD 57501
Follow-Up Webinar: Nov. 15 (4-5: pm CT) via Zoom

Data Based Individualization is a research-based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions for students with severe and persistent learning and behavioral needs. This training is a two-day, face-to-face training with a follow-up webinar for follow up and implementation Q&A with the trainer.

This training is designed to support school teams in developing a data-driven process to intensify and individualized Tier 2 and 3 intervention supports in an MTSS framework.

Conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and using that data to write a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
Oct. 26-27: Sioux Falls
Nov. 2-3: Rapid City

The Department of Education is conducting training in Sioux Falls and Rapid City on FBAs and BIPs. The training will help participants identify when an FBA-BIP is necessary, understand how to use FBA data to determine the reason problem behavior is occurring, and learn the critical components of function-based BIPs.

To register for this FREE training, select the links below:

Registration is open now. Upon completion, participants will receive 12 continuing education contact hours. Contact Rebecca Cain at DOE for more information.

Image of Stephanie Marquardt and Gary Thury

Stephanie Marquardt and
Gary Thury

5th grade, Bridgewater-Emery Elementary School

Stephanie Marquardt and Gary Thury teach 5th grade at Bridgewater-Emery Elementary School. Bridgewater-Emery is one of three schools in the state that received the Blue Ribbon Schools Award for 2023, which identifies high-performing schools throughout the nation. Part of what makes the school shine is Marquardt and Thury’s 5th grade student council program.