Secretary's Column
Myth or mantra?
With all of the serious things going
on in our world, I decided to devote this month’s column
to a lighter topic – old educational sayings. These
sayings have been passed down through the generations,
and I’ve weighed in on several. Here goes:
Do not smile until
Christmas. True.
This saying has been
around for ages. The attitude is to be firm with
students early on, and you can always loosen up your
rules and regulations later in the year. Frankly, I
think this is a good rule – not only for classroom
teachers but also for leaders of an organization. It is
always easier to relax your standards than it is to
tighten them up after a period of time. Students and
adults respect discipline and firm rules and guidelines.
So, even though I would recommend smiling before
Christmas, it never hurts to begin with a firm
foundation in any classroom or organization.
Kids are different
today. False.
Other than being much
smarter than we were 20 and 30 years ago, I do not
believe that kids are different today. However, I do
believe that our world is dramatically different. The
electronic age is here. Media opportunities are much
more plentiful and, as a result, kids are growing up
much faster. Today’s kids are fundamentally the same as
kids were years ago. They are simply exposed to much
more information, which accelerates their knowledge of
the world.
It must be the
weather. True.
Whenever students in a
school are unruly, teachers will quickly blame a change
in the weather. I once debated about doing a doctoral
dissertation on this topic because I believe there is
some truth to it. I’m no meteorologist, so I am unable
to track whether unruly behavior coincides with changes
in weather patterns. However, I feel that we should
trust some of our veteran teachers when they say that
there is a relationship between these two factors.
Therefore, when the weather patterns appear to be
changing, get ready for an interesting day at school!
The apple doesn’t
fall far from the tree. True.
Any teacher that has
had parent-teacher conferences knows this statement is
true. All of us, whether we want to admit it or not,
take after our parents. So, next time you are pleased
with a child’s performance, don’t forget to thank his or
her parents!
We value parental
involvement. False.
Even though we
recognize the importance of parental involvement in our
schools, I still believe we have a long way to go in
this area. The fact is: Some educators still look at
parents as the enemy. Successful schools and successful
teachers understand how to get parents involved in the
day-to-day operations of our schools. In today’s society
where opt-outs and bond issues are important, getting
our parents and community involved is more critical than
ever.
We are from the
State, and we are here to help. True.
Even though there may
be people that believe the answer to this question is
false, I still believe that our role in state government
is to help schools as much as possible. We recognize
that the Department of Education has regulatory
functions, and yet it is my hope that a majority of our
time is spent working with schools to improve education
rather than ensuring you are following necessary rules
and regulations.
Maybe you have a couple of sayings that
I forgot to mention. If so, let me know what they are! I’ll
look forward to hearing from you.
Two South Dakota educators receive big honors
Connie Rous, a 5th
grade teacher in Batesland, received the surprise of a lifetime
on Oct. 26, when Gov. Mike Rounds presented her with a
prestigious Milken National Educator Award. A few days later, he
announced that Charlotte Mohling had been selected as the 2007
South Dakota Teacher of the Year. Mohling is a family and
consumer sciences teacher in Wessington Springs.
Both women embody the
qualities of an outstanding teacher. Rous, who has been teaching
for 13 years, is known for providing a safe haven for her
students, where each receives individual attention based on his
or her specific needs. She often visits her students’ homes to
talk with their families about how they can support their
child’s learning. As Shannon County Superintendent Margo Heinert
explained, “Connie has a fire for her kids and a passion to
education.”
As a Milken award
winner, Rous will receive $25,000 in cash and an
all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles for the annual Milken
National Education Conference this spring.
Mohling has taught for
31 years in Wessington Springs, where she encourages students to
become self-motivated, inquisitive and responsible learners. She
has been an active promoter of technology in the classroom.
Mohling is recognized as a leader among her peers – conducting
workshops relating to curriculum design, teaching strategies,
and integrating technology for effective teaching for fellow
professionals. She also serves as a mentor to new teachers in
her district.
As Teacher of the Year
for 2007, Mohling will receive the use of a car for one year
from Springs Auto Inc. in Wessington Springs; a technology
package from the SMARTer Kids Foundation; a $3,000 cash award
from the South Dakota Community Foundation; a $3,000 cash award
from Citibank; a $1,000 honorarium from the South Dakota Board
of Regents; and a gift card from the South Dakota Retailers
Association.
Mohling will represent
South Dakota in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
To learn more about the Milken and Teacher
of the Year programs, visit
http://doe.sd.gov/oatq/distinguisheducators.
State aid report to be issued
The last meeting of the State Aid Study
Task Force is scheduled for Nov. 15 in Pierre. At the meeting,
task force members will review the report that will be presented
to Governor Rounds and the 2007 Legislature. The Department of
Education has scheduled one of its regular conference calls for
superintendents on Nov. 21, 3:30 p.m., to discuss the report and
other important issues.
Team Nutrition mini-grants
available
Mini-grants of $1,000
are available from the South Dakota Department of Education to
promote healthy eating habits and physical activity among
children.
Mini-grant funds can
be used to purchase nutrition education curriculum, teacher aids
(such as food models, MyPyramid displays, gardening supplies,
and educational nutrition games), fruits and vegetables for
tasting demonstrations, and similar expenses.
Planned activities
must accompany the use of mini-grant funds. Ideas for activities
include gardening projects, fun runs, staff nutrition education
training, nutrition and physical activity festivals for students
and parents, classroom nutrition education, walking programs,
linking the cafeteria to the classroom, and other activities as
approved.
Applications are being
accepted now through Dec. 1, 2006. The grants are for
January-May 2007. Agencies will be notified by Jan. 15, 2007, if
they have been awarded a mini-grant.
For complete guidelines and an application,
visit the department’s Team Nutrition Web site at
http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/nutrition/
and look for “Grant Information.” Applications must be
postmarked by Dec.
1, 2006.
Please call Child and Adult Nutrition Services at (605)
773-3413 if you have questions.
State Library provides free
access to resources
Educators can take advantage of three new
resources offered by the South Dakota State Library. The online
resources, which normally require a subscription, include the
Learning Express Library and the Gale Virtual Reference Library.
“These resources are a part of the State
Library’s new mission and represent an important piece of the
State Library’s support of library services at the local level,”
said State Librarian Dorothy Liegl. “People can access the
resources for free via the State Library’s Web site.”
The first resource, Learning Express
Library, is an online learning platform of more than 300
practice tests. The Learning Express Library consists of a wide
assortment of tests, appropriate for ages ranging from
grade-school level to adulthood. Tests include ACT, SAT, GRE, 4th
grade math diagnostic tests, and more.
The Gale Virtual Reference Library
is a core collection of virtual reference books, available 24
hours a day, seven days a week. The collection covers the
following reference areas: business, education,
history/terrorism, medicine, law and government, and science.
Through the American Newspapers
database, users can browse current and archived items from the
Aberdeen American News and the Argus Leader. This resource will
be useful for general reference or to research local and
national issues, events, people, government, education, arts,
business, sorts, real estate and much more.
Anyone with a library card from a South
Dakota Library Network library can access these new resources
from their home computer or a computer at their local library.
Simply log on to the State Library Web site at
www.sdstatelibrary.com and look for the Databases
link. Users should be prepared to provide their library card
number as a log-in and their last name as a password.
To get a library card to access the databases, users can apply
online at
www.sdstatelibrary.com/forms/orderlibrarycard.htm or
at a South Dakota Library Network library.
Students earn
cash, learn about finances
High school
seniors can earn cash prizes of up to $5,000 in an essay contest
about investing. The contest helps to shine a spotlight on South
Dakota’s new graduation requirements, which include .5 units of
economics or personal finance. The contest is coordinated by the
South Dakota Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of
Securities.
Under contest
rules, students must write one page on each of the following
five principles: The Value of Diversification, Investment
Products and Risk, Understanding Interest, How to Choose a
Broker and an Investment Advisor, and Discuss Your Financial
Plan to Obtain $1,000,000 or more by age 65.
In addition to
submitting an essay, students must be sponsored by a teacher
from their high school.
Essays will be
judged based on their content as it relates to the five
principles of investing. Upon being judged, each entry will be
placed in one of four levels: A, B, C or D. When all papers are
categorized, state officials will randomly draw two winners from
Level A, with both winners receiving $5,000. Teachers sponsoring
the Level A winners receive $500. Two essays will be randomly
drawn from each of the remaining three levels (B, C and D), with
those students receiving cash prizes of $3,000, $2000 and
$1,000, respectively. Teachers sponsoring the Level B, C and D
winners will receive $300, $200 and $100 respectively. The high
school teacher sponsoring the most senior student essays wins
$500. In addition, there will be a random drawing of all sponsor
teacher names with the winner receiving $500. Chances of winning
are subject to the number of entries received and the number in
each level.
Contest rules
and more information are available on the Department of
Revenue’s Web site at
http://www.state.sd.us/drr2/reg/securities/.
Click on “High School Senior Essay Contest Information.” The
deadline to submit entries is Jan. 16, 2007.
This is the
second year the Division of Securities has coordinated the essay
contest. Last year’s winners came from school districts such as
Britton-Hecla, Brookings, New Underwood, Plankinton, and Sioux
Falls.
The essay
contest is funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust,
a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education.
Preparing for a crisis
No one can predict when a crisis might
occur, but school districts can take steps to prepare for a
variety of situations, from blizzards to bomb threats. Recent
shootings in schools across the United States have brought
attention to one particular type of crisis situation: school
violence. While South Dakota has not been directly impacted by
this type of crisis, we are not immune.
By making crisis preparations today, school
districts can improve the safety of their students for tomorrow.
One valuable resource is the U.S. Department of Education’s
“Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools
and Communities.” This publication identifies four phases of
crisis management. Highlights of each phase are described below.
Click here for the full guide.
Mitigation and Prevention
Take steps to prevent crises or lessen
their impact. These steps might include:
-
Connect with your community’s emergency
responders
-
Establish building access control
procedures
-
Provide IDs for students and staff
-
Take steps to improve school climate
Preparedness
Identify practical things you can do to
prepare for crisis situations. These might include:
-
Identify potential crises – fire, bomb
threat, hostage situations
-
Define roles and responsibilities (Who
is responsible for caring for children? Who is responsible
for notifying parents? Who is responsible for talking to the
media?)
-
Create maps of school property for
emergency responders
-
Conduct drills (eg. fire, tornado,
lock-down) for students and staff
Response
Become familiar with appropriate responses
such as:
-
Assessing the situation and responding
quickly
-
Notifying emergency responders
immediately
-
Determining whether to evacuate or lock
down the school
-
Triaging injuries
-
Communicating accurate and appropriate
information
Recovery
-
Identify ways to return to learning and
restore normalcy.
-
Assemble the Crisis Intervention Team
-
Return to learning as quickly as
possible
-
Assess the emotional needs of staff,
students, families and responders
-
Provide stress management during class
-
Conduct daily debriefings for staff and
responders
When it comes to school shootings, a number
of situations have been a result of someone claiming to be
bullied or picked on. This winter, the Department of Education
will host training sessions related to bullying, school climate
and sexual harassment. The sessions are slated for Dec. 18-19 in
Rapid City; Jan. 23-24, 2007, in Watertown; and Feb. 13-14,
2007, in Sioux Falls. For more information about these sessions,
contact the department’s Office of Career and Technical
Education at (605) 773-3423.
Finally, there is no replacement for alert
staff. Speaking with staff members about the possibility of
school violence, or any crisis, and practicing your response on
a regular basis will be your best prevention strategy.
Upcoming Events
For a more
complete list of professional development opportunities,
visit
www.southdakotapd.com.
-
Learn more about Title IX and
sexual harassment
-
Conference to address
alternative education
-
Trainings
to tackle bullying, sexual harassment issues
Learn more about Title IX and sexual
harassment
School leaders are invited to attend a
Title IX and Sexual Harassment Investigative Training,
hosted by the department’s Office of Career and Technical
Education. The training will be held Nov. 16-17 at the State
Library in Pierre. It is provided by Colorado State
University – Interwest Equity Assistance Center.
Pre-registration is required and due by
Nov. 2. Cost of the training is $35, which includes
materials, supplies and lunch. Registration is available
online at
www.southdakotapd.com.
For information, contact Jerry Sauer at (605) 773-4740.
jerry.sauer@state.sd.us.
Conference to address alternative
education
Alternative education will be the topic of a conference
Nov. 21-22 at Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain. The
conference is designed for school leaders at the high school
level. The agenda will include:
-
Discussion of alternative education models
-
Examination of new directions for delivery
-
Developing plans for research-based delivery systems
This free
event is hosted by ESA Region 3 and the South Dakota
Department of Education. Lodging is at your own expense.
To register and find hotel information, visit
www.sddial.org/esa/index.htm.
Trainings to tackle bullying, sexual
harassment issues
Bullying, sexual harassment prevention
and Title IX are the topics of a two-day training being held
across the state. Hosted by the department’s Office of
Career and Technical Education, the sessions will take
place:
-
Dec. 18-19, Western Dakota Technical Institute, Rapid
City
-
Jan. 23-24, 2007, Lake Area Technical Institute,
Watertown
-
Feb. 13-14, 2007, Southeast Technical Institute, Sioux
Falls
The training is provided by Colorado
State University – Interwest Equity Assistance Center. It is
appropriate for superintendents, principals, special
education directors, school nurses, school counselors and
others interested in these topics.
Pre-registration for the events is required. Cost is $35 per
person, which includes materials, supplies and lunch. CEU
credits are being arranged. Registration is available online
at
www.southdakotapd.com.
For more information, contact Jerry Sauer at (605) 773-4740.
jerry.sauer@state.sd.us. |
