Last updated on 2017.01.02
Last week Governor Dennis Daugaard awarded Critical Teaching Needs Scholarships to 19 education students going into K-12 special ed, high school math or science, or high school vo-tech:
Dakota State University
- Mariah Grelson, Marshall, Minn.
- Nicole HighElk, Plankinton
- Eric Ruppelt, Tyndall
- Stacey Schuller, Jackson, Minn.
Mount Marty College
- Katelyn Heisinger, Tripp
- Alex Mueller, Yankton
- Courtney True, Yankton
South Dakota State University
- Bradley Cihak, Tyndall
- Dillon Johnson, Mount Vernon
- Taylor Leonhardt, Groton
- Frankie Lux, Leola
- Nathan McMullen, Sleepy Eye, Minn.
- Ashley Tollefson, Hitchcock
- Trey Waltner, Marion
University of South Dakota
- Alex DeVries, Lennox
- Alison Petrik, Yankton
- Tucker Tornberg, Centerville
- Erin Tounsley, Pierre
- Brooke Vandersluis, Le Mars, Iowa
I congratulate these students on having the brains, talent, and dedication to South Dakota necessary to win this scholarship. I commend them for committing to stay and teach in South Dakota for at least five years, and I exhort them all to vote Democratic so we can raise their pay to something better than last in the nation.
But I also remind these students that the only scenario under which they come out ahead financially on this scholarship is if they never intended to leave South Dakota to teach or work in another field. If any of these students gave up plans to teach in Minnesota or Iowa to win this scholarship, they traded over $65,000 in purchasing power for about $15,000 in tuition reduction.
Unfortunately, these students are still a couple years away from helping Tripp-Delmont, which needs a high school and middle school math teacher right now. Teacher in-service happens at Tripp-Delmont in two weeks, on August 18; kids come to class August 19; and Tripp-Delmont still is short a math teacher. Superintendent Gail Swenson is beating the Facebook bushes for applicants:
Tripp-Delmont School District needs a 7-12 math teacher. The salary is negotiable and we are offering a signing bonus of $2,500. If you know anyone who knows anyone now is the time to put out the message. New grads.....retired......been at home and ready to come back to teach--doesn't matter. I just need someone who loves math and kids. If you know of anyone, please have them contact Sherry Hansen, Business Manager, or me at 605-935-6766 [Gail Swenson, Facebook post, 2014.08.02].
$2,500 signing bonus—that's almost a month's pay! Applicants, call now!
Swenson underscores what other administrators repeated to our Legislature last month: the "critical needs" are everywhere in South Dakota's K-12 system. Swenson says we need to press our legislators for a fix:
Unfortunately, we are not the only SD district looking for a math teacher. So, if you run into any of your local politicians, explain to them that the teacher shortage in this state is real. If they don't believe you, tell them to call their local school and ask how hiring has been this year [Swenson, 2014.08.02].
The Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship appropriately recognizes excellence and dedication among our future teachers. But it will do little to move the South Dakota teaching labor pool in directions it wasn't planning to follow in the first place. Getting a teacher to Tripp-Delmont and to the other increasing late-season openings throughout the South Dakota K-12 system will require sending a whole lot of advocates for education to Pierre to increase education funding and make teaching pay real money.
RCAS are short 20 according to an article in the Journal a couple days ago. Rep Wismer should ask Daugaard point blank what he plans to do about it.
Thanks for highlighting our situation at Tripp-Delmont; unfortunately, it is a story being repeated in schools across our state. Parents and local advocates need to be flooding their Representatives' email with their concerns about this teacher shortage crisis. The quality of education in South Dakota--and your local school--is directly related to quality instruction from effective teachers. When we add the pressures of testing, numerous preparations and other requirements to our teachers, it's not surprising that young people aren't drawn to the profession and many veteran teachers are counting their days to retirement. The Ed Professors in our SD Universities have been very sympathetic, but the few graduates we have in areas such as math, special education and music are hired quickly--and many of those grads walk across our borders for $10-$15K more in starting salary and fewer preparations in neighboring states. I know that some people get tired of listening to the issue of teacher pay. We interviewed one candidate who wanted to return to education after spending a few years in business finance. The candidate would have been a great addition to our staff and offered "real world" applications to the math curriculum. Unfortunately, I could not match the salary or benefits another business offered this candidate--even with going off our schedule and adding a hiring bonus. Salary matters. So we are two weeks from the first day of school and I'm not sleeping very well. I'm open to suggestions...
Tim, I'll bet Daugaard would say that hiring and paying teachers is entirely up to the local districts, not his problem at all.
Gail, I'm sorry that you have this plight, but at least you're bringing it everyone's attention. The squeaky wheel gets the grease... and, I hope, the applicants!
A strong and vibrant economy REQUIRES a strong educational system and highly valued teachers. SD has neither because the state government, dominated by Republicans, refuses to support SD's students, teachers and schools. There is no excuse.
Yeah Cory, I'm sure you are right. The fact that the republican controlled state government couldn't even get a resolution acknowledging we have a problem passed won't come into the conversation either.
Low teacher pay is not the only problem in these small schools. The other problem you have is attracting teachers to living in a small town and living a distance from the bigger towns. This is not new and the low salaries will only be fixed by the local board and school patrons supporting an opt out of the tax freeze. We know from the past that the state is not going to fix this problem. If Tripp Delmont patrons really believe that higher teacher wages will solve this problem they need to show their support and opt out to raise all teachers salaries in their school.
Greg, I'm not sure they can opt out to raise teacher pay, I could be wrong but I don't think state law allows for that type of opt out. They may be able to opt out for other reasons then reallocate existing money for pay, not sure how the law reads, but I thought I read someplace that opt out for pay can't be done.
Greg, an opt-out is not the only way to fix it. The Legislature could just as easily pass a larger per-student allocation. If districts across the state are saying low pay is a problem, if the teacher shortage is hitting Harrisburg and Brookings just like it's hitting smaller towns like Tripp, why not take statewide action?
Tim, this explanation from the Department of Revenue says opt-outs can only be used for general fund, and general fund pays salaries, so I'm thinking we can indeed opt out to raise pay.
I doubt that the legislators will do anything before the 2015 Legislative Session. Doing anything now would mean that the state budget would be in debt. that would mean the state budget would no longer be balanced.
Until then, the schools will have to "get by," with maybe using online teaching materials or methods, or maybe televised instructors.
Cory, I would agree with you that a statewide allocation per student would be a better fix than a opt out. Either way it will take more revenue and the state has shown it will not do it. At least with an opt out you keep your own money working locally.
Greg, you and I agree on one fundamental point: we won't solve the problem without more revenue.
There is no magic solution. The state relies on magic and wishes—Gee, we sure hope more businesses come to the state, create more jobs, and generate more tax revenue!—instead of recognizing that we already have the wealth to support the unmet needs of out schools. The state chickens out and leaves it to local districts to fight the hard fight of mustering the popular will to actually raise taxes.