notdistrictdialogue

[notdistrictdialogue]

Teacher of the Year announced tonight

Tonight's the big night, the 2014 Sioux Falls School District Teacher of the Year will be announced tonight at a desert reception, beginning at 6:30. Here are the finalists:

Maureen Bland, First Grade - Lowell Elementary Allison Carlson, 8th Grade Science - Patrick Henry Middle School Sarah Henrichs, 6-8 Cluster Lang. Arts- Axtell Park Middle School Holly Hofer, Second Grade- Robert Frost Elementary Jessica Pomerenke, Math – Geometry- Roosevelt High School Jacqueline Wilber, Speech/Debate- Roosevelt High School

The winner receives the honor of being the Teacher of the Year (of course), and $4,000 in cash, courtesy of Vern Eide Motorcars.

I'll be there and will tweet the winner as soon as it's announced. Follow me @Argus_BWisch. There will also be a story online tonight in tomorrow's Argus.

[notdistrictdialogue]

School Board election: Where do I vote?

Sioux Falls School District Board elections are right around the corner, here's the info you need to vote:

The City of Sioux Falls Municipal/School Board Election will be held on April 8. Citizens will vote at one of 13 designated Vote Centers, regardless of where they reside in the City.

A map containing the 13 Vote Center locations being used for the Election is available online. The map may be found at www.siouxfalls.org on the 2014 Election page under Resources.

The Vote Centers are located at:

First Lutheran Church, 327 S. Dakota Ave.

Memorial Middle School, 1401 S. Sertoma Ave.

Maricar Community Center, 400 N. Valley View Rd.

Oyate Community Center, 2421 W. 15th St.

Wesley United Methodist Church, 1700 E. 6th St.

Sioux Falls Arena, 1201 N. West Ave.

Peace Lutheran Church, 5509 W. 41st St.

Kenny Anderson Community Center, 3701 E. 3rd St.

Morningside Community Center, 2400 S. Bahnson Ave.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 5500 E. 57th St.

Faith Baptist Fellowship Hall, 601 W. 57th St.

Asbury United Methodist Church, 2425 S. Western Ave.

Instructional Planning Center, 201 E. 38th St.

[notdistrictdialogue]

Teacher of the Year nominees

The Sioux Falls School District released the nominees for the 2014 Teacher of the Year award late last week. Here's the information:

The following teachers have been nominated for the 2014 Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year Award.

Travis Aarbo, Read 180 Teacher - Axtell Park Middle School Maureen  Bland, First Grade - Lowell Elementary Tammy Cooper-Mosser, First Grade  - John Harris Elementary Allison Carlson, 8th Grade Science - Patrick Henry Middle School Robyn Costello, Kindergarten  - John Harris Elementary Karen Cota, Kindergarten - R.F. Pettigrew Elementary Caron DeLamontanya, First Grade - John Harris Elementary Loree Erickson, 6-12 SS & Math - Success Academy Robyn Ernster, Second Grade  - John Harris Elementary Kris Hansen, First Grade - Rosa Parks Elementary Tara Hansen-Leinen, K-3 Resource - Rosa Parks Elementary Sarah Henrichs, 6-8 Cluster Lang. Arts - Axtell Park Middle School Judy Ann Hilleson, 7th Language Arts - Memorial Middle School Holly Hofer, Second Grade - Robert Frost Elementary Anita  Hoffmann, First Grade - Saint Mary School Shannon Hohwieler, Kindergarten - John Harris Elementary Kristianne Irsfeld, Fifth Grade - John F. Kennedy Elementary Bridget Jacobs, HS Sciences - Roosevelt High School Erin Larson, First Grade - Garfield Elementary Julie Larsen, Fourth Grade - John F. Kennedy Elementary Jane Lukens, 6-8 SPED - Patrick Henry Middle School Dean Marty, Fifth Grade - Challenge Center Rebecca Moser, First Grade  - Laura Wilder Elementary Jessica Pomerenke, Math – Geometry - Roosevelt High School Andrea Sailor, Second Grade - Oscar Howe Elementary Alicia Sferrazza, First Grade- Oscar Howe Elementary Nicole Shilmoeller, 6-8 Reading - Axtell Park Middle School Micah Siegel, Third Grade - John Harris Elementary Sandra Turgeon, Fifth Grade - John Harris Elementary Nicole Valnes, Fourth Grade - Robert Frost Elementary Jacqueline Wilber, Speech/Debate - Roosevelt High School Lyndi Willet, Third Grade - Rosa Parks Elementary

The 2014 Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year will be announced on Monday, March 24, 2014 at an evening reception for all nominees and special guests. The Teacher of the Year program is sponsored jointly by the Sioux Falls School District and Vern Eide Motorcars.

[notdistrictdialogue]

So far, no challenger to incumbent Doug Morrison

The deadline to submit nominating petitions to run for the Sioux Falls School District School Board is Friday, but so far, incumbent Doug Morrison is the only one who has submitted his materials.

The school district tells me if no one challenges Morrison, he wins the seat by default. Three people have taken out petitions, so it will be interesting to see what happens by the deadline Friday.

Board President  Morrison's spot is the only open seat on the board.

Nominating packets can be picked up at the district's finance office in the Instructional Planning Center, 201 E. 38th St., from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To be considered eligible for the office, a person must be a resident voter living within the school district's boundaries. Nominating petitions must be filed by 5 p.m.Friday.The annual school district election, if held, will be done in conjunction with the Sioux Falls municipal election on April 8.

To learn more, call Bev Chase, Election Services at 605-367-7905 or visit the school board tab at www.sf.k12.sd.us.

[notdistrictdialogue]

February is Career and Technical Education month

CTE Academy Principal Jim Kayl and Beverly Rieck with the Dell Rapids School District shared the proclamation with me last week. Kayl is the president-elect for the South Dakota chapter of the Association for Career and Technical Education, and Rieck is the president. Photo of the two and the governor's proclamation below.

[notdistrictdialogue]

Longtime Sioux Falls School District administrators to retire early

The Sioux Falls School Board approved the early retirement requests of four school district administrators Monday.

Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff development, Sharon Schueler, Garfield Elementary principal Nancy Duncan, Washington High School assistant principal Kevin Kennedy and Lincoln High School assistant principal Mike Klinedinst will all retire at the end of this school year.

Out of those retiring, Duncan has been with the district the longest, starting in 1972, according to district information. Schueler and Kennedy started in 1977, and Klinedinst has been with the district since 1999.

[notdistrictdialogue]

Intelligent design bill coming soon

Where did we come from? How should we explain that to students?

One lawmaker has proposed a bill that would allow teachers to teach students about intelligent design — the theory that life was created by a designing intelligence, often with a religious undertone.

You can read about the bill here.

In essence, Senate Bill 112 would would make it illegal for a school board or a school administrator to prohibit teachers in public or private schools from teaching students about intelligent design and “other related topics.”

Sen. Jeff Monroe, R-Pierre, sponsored the bill and said it isn't aimed at any specific religion.

"In our society, it’s a social debate," he said Friday. "Are we animals, did we come out of the slime and are we monkeys, genetically altered over time, or are we designed by intelligence? Interpret that however a person wants to."

The supreme court  has interpreted it as being unconstitutional to teach it alongside evolution, one of the more recent cases involving a school in Pennsylvania.

Traditionally students are taught one or the other, with primarily private religious schools teaching intelligent design, and public schools teaching evolution. The Sioux Falls School Board opposes the bill and the Associated School Boards of South Dakota is watching the discussion.

Monroe said his constituents asked for he bill. He said it allows students who can't afford private schools to learn non-evolution-based theories. In Monroe's bill, it leaves the question of "how we got here" up to the individual teacher to answer. 

"Schools don’t have to do anything different, if they want to teach environmental accidental-ism, that’s fine. If they want to teach both, they can teach both, too," Monroe said. He thinks teachers should be allowed to share their beliefs.

Amanda Novotny of the Sioux Falls-based Siouxland Freethinkers, opposes the bill. In cases where schools have been required to teach intelligent design, legal action has declared it unconstitutional.

Monroe's bill does not require it. 

Novotny references the case of a group of parents vs the Dover Area School District, a  case which the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 it was unconstitutional for the Pennsylvania school district to present intelligent design as an alternative to evolution to high school biology courses. The high court said intelligent design is a religious viewpoint that advances “a particular version of Christianity,” according to a New York Times article on the ruling. 

"It’s a gross church-state violation," Novotny said of SB 112. "The way the bill is written is really opening them up for the same type of court cases to happen."

The bill also is vague enough to allow districts or administrators to vary their interpretations, Novotny said. 

"What they haven't thought about, is conversely, they could also take it and teach that (intelligent design) is not true, because the bill is worded vaguely," Novotny said.  "It’s really putting a lot of the decision making on the teacher as far as the science curriculum."

The Sioux Falls School District opposes the bill.

"What should and should not be taught is dictated by the written curriculum for the given subject area as approved by the local school board. A teacher must follow the adopted curriculum,” the district says in their legislative position document.

The Associated School Boards of South Dakota is “monitoring” the bill.

Monroe said he anticipates there to be some debate, and looks forward to it.

No hearing date has been set yet, but Monroe anticipates it will likely be heard in the Senate Education Committee within the next few meetings.

It should be an interesting discussion.

[notdistrictdialogue]

So you want to become a school board member

UPDATE: I got in touch with School Board President Doug Morrison this evening and he said he is running again. If elected, it would be his third term on the board.

"“I have a passion for community service and education,”he said. “It’s challenging and hopefully it benefits the community in some way.”

If you want to run for school board, you can pick up a nominating packet at the Instructional Planning Center beginning tomorrow.

More details:

The packets may be picked up at the district's finance office, located in the Instructional Planning Center, 201 E 38th Street, Monday through Friday-7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. To be considered eligible for the office, a person must be a resident voter living within the School District’s boundaries. Nominating petitions must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. The annual School District election will be held in conjunction with the Sioux Falls Municipal Election on Tuesday, April 8.

Board President Doug Morrison’s spot is the only open seat on the board. 

For more information, call Bev Chase, Election Services at 605-367-7905 or visit the School Board tab at www.sf.k12.sd.us.

Since the school board election will be held in conjunction with the city election, I'm expecting a big turnout. Mostly because items on April's ballot include the outdoor pool at Spellerberg, snow gates and Shape Places.

Traditionally, school board elections on their own haven't brought in high voter turnout, which is kind of sad.

The last election, held last May and independent of any other elections, brought in voter participation of only 3.7 percent of those registered, which narrowly beat the record-low 3.55 percent from the 2009 election.

I'll be following up as the election gets closer with profiles of the candidates.

Make sure to go out and vote!

[notdistrictdialogue]

Gov. Dennis Daugaard will spend millions of dollars to boost career and technical education in South Dakota’s high schools, he announced Tuesday in his State of the State speech.

The support includes $5 million in grants from the state’s Future Fund, which normally gives grants to support...

[notdistrictdialogue]

When does the Sioux Falls School District cancel school?

The weather's been a bit tempestuous lately, but it's about to get downright bone-chilling cold on Monday, with temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero (with windchill).

At what point does the Sioux Falls School District cancel school?

According to the district's blog: "When wind chills approach the point where exposed flesh can freeze in 10 minutes or less, the District will typically call off school."

But there are many other factors that come into play, such as what time of day the wind chill will be a dangerous range. Students don't go outside for recess when the temperature or wind chill is below zero.

District spokesman Ben Schumacher told me today the District does not make a decision about school cancellations this far in advance, when we're talking about Monday, for example.

"In cases of extreme cold and dangerous wind chills (and with snow events), the District works directly with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls to determine the danger to students and staff. The standing procedure is that the District will make a determination about school by 5 a.m. that day to notify early morning District staff of the closure – or late start – and will notify parents around 6 a.m. so they can make the necessary accommodations," he said in an email. 

If and when school is delayed or cancelled, parents/guardians will hear directly from the School District via a ParentLink phone call with specific information.

The district last called off school last April during the ice storm.

Sometimes, he said, the district has made the decision as early as the evening before, depending on what the forecast says.

That's barring any announcement by Gov. Dennis Daugaard that all schools in the state will be closed Monday,  like Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton did today.

Lucky Minnesota students.

Stay warm!

[notdistrictdialogue]

What does your school lunch look like?

USA Today is asking students and their parents to tell them about their school lunches, which includes photos. Here's the details:

How do you or your kids feel about the cafeteria food at school? How nutritious and/or satisfying do you think it is?

Show and tell us what school lunches look like where you are and we may feature your experiences on USA TODAY channels. If you send a photo, please note that by submitting an image, you are ensuring that it is your original and unique image that you have permission to submit for use in USA TODAY.

Photos submitted by students under the age of 13 must have parental consent. All photos will be fully vetted by USA TODAY staff.

E-mail photos of your plate to community@usatoday.com, by Friday, Dec. 6, with a detailed caption that includes your name, age, hometown and a description of the food shown.

You can also tweet the photos using #schoollunch on Twitter.

Just doing a quick search with the hashtag on Twitter, I came across some pretty interesting school lunches with items like Crêpes and pumpkin butter pancakes, and more what I would call common items, such as chicken fingers and fruit. If you have a minute, check it out, it's pretty interesting. 

[notdistrictdialogue]

False sign posted in Tea

The Tea Weekly ran a photo in their Nov. 29 issue of a sign placed across the street from Tea High School:

(Credit: Tea Weekly)

If you can read the print, the photo is false, as confirmed by the Lennox School Superintendent, likely aimed at stirring up confusion over an upcoming bond vote.

The YES for Tea Area Kids group, which is in favor of the bond passing, is circulating the photo online trying to clear the air. You can find their Facebook page here.

The Tea Area School District will be holding an vote on a $10.5 million bond on Dec. 10, which would pay for an addition onto the elementary school in Tea, a performing arts center attached to the high school and a new elementary school in the northern part of the district. 

The space is badly needed, as the district continues to grow, and some students have to go to class in "stick buildings," or temporary classrooms that don't have running water.

There's been some opposition to the bond from folks in a housing development near Family Wellness, where the proposed new elementary school would be built. Some want out of the district because they want their kids to go to Sioux Falls schools and don't want to have to pay the bond, but the district has been firm in defending their borders.

[notdistrictdialogue]

Rapid City Schools expand Pledge policy

It looks like the recent policy change by the Sioux Falls School District may have started something.

The Associated Press had this story this morning:

RAPID CITY — Students in all grades of South Dakota’s two largest districts are now asked to stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning.

KOTA-TV reports Rapid City’s district policy followed a decision by Sioux Falls to expand it to high schools.

Students at both districts have the option of whether to put their hand on the heart and recite the pledge.

Rapid City Central High School junior Christian Bears says reciting the pledge is a way to support the country. Freshman Kyle Aubert says schools should do it for the troops.

The original KOTA-TV story says the schools had no policy in place.

Rep. Hal Wick said he intends to bring forth a bill which could make schools make time for the Pledge every day, stopping short of forcing them to say it.

You can read more about the Sioux Falls School District policy change here.

[notdistrictdialogue]

In Sioux Falls, big elementary schools get bigger

Josh Verges guest post

Of the hundreds of public elementary schools in South Dakota, numbers 2 and 3 in K-5 enrollment are Discovery and R.F. Pettigrew on the west side of Sioux Falls.

According to the Department of Education, Discovery had 699 students in the fall of 2012 and Pettigrew had 694, plus 84 in early childhood programming.

Only Sturgis Elementary had more, with 718 plus 12 preschoolers.

More recent numbers from the Sioux Falls School District put Pettigrew at 764 and Discovery at 716.

So, how does another 180 students sound?

A plan put forth by Superintendent Pam Homan on Wednesday would add a fifth section of classrooms at both Discovery and Pettigrew, rather than building a new elementary school next to McGovern Middle School.

Large schools are no doubt more cost-effective, but parents in general -- there are exceptions -- prefer to send their kids to a small elementary. We saw that when Homan decided to consolidate Mark Twain and Longfellow elementary schools.

If the latest plan advances, before long enrollment at Discovery and Pettigrew should approach 900 students – larger than all but eight or nine public high schools in the state.

Which raises another question: Will the Pettigrew Panthers petition up to Class 11AA football?

First and third graders eat lunch at Discovery Elementary on Oct. 11, 2011. Jay Pickthorn / Argus Leader

[notdistrictdialogue]

1889 Argus Leader: Hail to thee, Susan B.

Josh Verges guest post:

The 1889 Argus Leader was about as excited about Susan B. Anthony's visit to the state as Jonathan Ellis is about the pending death of the Mark Twain school name.

The Argus-Leader begins to feel a wild thrill of pleasurable expectation. Susan is coming. We shall see her own dear self and shall hear her dulcet tones declare the total depravity of man. We shall see displayed in all her entrancing loveliness the female ward worker, and shall like St. John in the vision, feel the air warm around us with the heavenly effulgence of woman suffrage. Hail to thee, Susan, thou headlight of the elysium to come, our heart's ecstasy arises at thine approach. - Nov. 16, 1889 (research by John E. Miller at SDSU, hat tip to Madville Times.

I can't say when it happened, but we're on board with the 19th Amendment now.

[notdistrictdialogue]

The Sioux Falls School Board voted last night to ditch the name Mark Twain from the new elementary school that will be built on the Mark Twain grounds. See this story.

The story includes quotes from Melanie Bliss, who lives in the neighborhood and who was among residents, parents and former...

[notdistrictdialogue]

Anger over Common Core not just in South Dakota

I read with interest this story by the Huffington Post about a recent town hall meeting in New York about Common Core.

In short: Some people in New York are pretty ticked off about Common Core, and want to oust the state education commissioner, Dr. John King.

Here's a bit from that story:

It's been more than three years since the state first adopted the standards -- and more than a year since some districts began their implementing them -- but critics are still calling for the benchmarks to be rolled back and for leaders at the forefront of the standards to bow out.

The Common Core, a set of new education learning standards that emphasize deep learning and critical thinking, have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. New York is one of the first states to start testing on the benchmarks.

In the latest controversy, parent groups are calling for New York state Commissioner of Education Dr. John King to resign. Many were enraged last week after King canceled a tour of Common Core town hall meetings -- scheduled take place across the state -- after only attending one in Poughkeepsie on Oct. 10.

Videos show the town hall became boisterous, with crowds shouting at and heckling King from the audience.

One parent shouted from the audience that her child was being taught curriculum “like a little Nazi” while King’s children were “prospering in the freedom of a private Montessori school.” When the town hall was cut short, audience members shouted “Where’s our hour?” and “Where’s your representation for parents?”

Basically, it got loud, rowdy and the crowd was angry.

New York's Education Commissioner has since cancelled the remaining scheduled town hall meetings, saying the meetings were no longer constructive, though he said he was open to working to make other forums.

It reminded me a bit of last night's public forum in Sioux Falls on Common Core, featuring State Education Secretary Melody Schopp, which got heated at times. Audience members clapped loudly after others spoke against or questioned the standards, and when questions weren't answered to their satisfaction, audience members demanded a better answer.  From the sounds of it, however, things were quite a bit more heated in New York.

Tuesday was the second public forum Schopp has attended recently Sioux Falls, to discuss Common Core Standards. Both events have been attended well, with passionate people on both sides.

Schopp said she's open to attending more forums to answer questions, so it will be interesting to see how many more will be scheduled.

The South Dakota Department of Education has information about the standards at www.commoncore.sd.gov. An opposition group has its own website at www.sdagainstcommoncore.com.