Feb. 15, 2012
HEADLINES
HB1234 moves forward after amendment
House Bill 1234 encompasses the concepts of bonuses for top teachers, incentives for math and science teachers, and phase out of continuing contract proposed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Since the bill’s introduction, it has been amended substantially by the Legislature, and it could continue to change. Below is a short summary of the changes to date.
Bonus Pay
As the bill stands now, districts have three choices:
1) $5,000 bonuses for the top 20 percent of teachers (voluntary for teachers to participate; annual application process)
2) Opt out of the bonuses; money redistributed to participating schools
3) Create a local bonus system based on student achievement and teacher evaluation, and/or market-based needs
Math and Science Incentives
As the bill stands now, this piece of the proposal has turned into a tuition reimbursement style program. New math and science teachers would qualify for $8,000 annual bonuses, for their first five years of teaching, as long as they teach at a South Dakota public school. The program would apply to certified middle and high school math and science teachers. It also applies to any teachers who have and are using a math or science specialist endorsement. The $8,000 payment for five years is meant to help new teachers pay off their student loans and get established in their careers.
Other provisions
Other pieces of the bill, including the phase out of continuing contract (commonly called tenure), the requirement for a common teacher evaluation instrument, and the requirement for common standards and evaluation for principals, remain in place.
To track the bill as it moves its way through the Legislature, visit http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2012/QuickFind.aspx and type in HB 1234.
Hagen-Harvey scholarship applications now online
Applications for the 2012 Hagen-Harvey scholarship are now available on the Department of Education’s website, and must be submitted by March 15 in order to be considered for the award.
Hagen-Harvey scholarships are awarded to recent high school graduates who are enrolled members of any American Indian tribe. Recipients are selected on the basis of grade-point average, ACT score, leadership potential and other indicators of the drive for success.
Scholarship winners must attend institutes of higher education in South Dakota. The scholarships range from $1,000 for a single year to as much as $6,000 over four years for incoming freshmen.
The scholarship program was established in 2003 after Minerva Harvey left the proceeds of her estate to the South Dakota Department of Education to develop a scholarship program for Native American students. The late Richard Hagen was a Native American legislator from Pine Ridge who served in both the state House of Representatives and state Senate.
Go to http://www.doe.sd.gov/secretary/scholarships.asp#HagenHarvey learn more, including detailed information on how to apply.
Students chosen to represent South Dakota during U.S. Senate Youth Program
Elise Twohy and James Updike, both of Rapid City, were chosen to be part of the group of 104 student delegates who will attend the U.S. Senate Youth Program’s 50th Anniversary Washington Week next month. Joseph Schartz, of Humboldt, and Anthony Husher, of Winner, were chosen as alternates.
Each year this extremely competitive merit-based program brings some of the most outstanding high school students — two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense schools — to Washington, D.C., for an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it. The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service.
In addition to the program week, The Hearst Foundations provide each of the 104 student delegates with a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs. Transportation and all expenses for Washington Week are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; no government funds are utilized.
The USSYP was created in 1962 “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials, and the vital importance of democratic decision making not only for America but for people around the world.”
To learn more, go to: http://www.doe.sd.gov/secretary/scholarships.asp#senate.
February is National Career and Technical Education Month
It’s Career and Technical Education Month across the country, and to help celebrate, Governor Daugaard proclaimed Tuesday, Feb. 7, as Career and Technical Student Organization Day in South Dakota. State officers from the CTSOs were in Pierre that day to meet with their local legislators and discuss the importance of their organizations. If your school or class did something unique to recognize the benefits of career and technical education, we’d love to hear about it. Email Laura Haatvedt.
Nominations sought for School Resource Officer of the Year
Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s School Officer of the Year Award. The South Dakota Association of School Resource Officers, or SDASRO, is glad to support this fourth annual award.
SDASRO, which began in 2007, strives for great working relationships between school officers and school personnel. The officer picked for this award should display professionalism, dedication and commitment to their respective school or district.
The SDASRO Executive Board will make the selection from those nominated, and may call the prospective recipient’s school district and/ or employer to get supervisor appraisals. The nominees will be announced at the annual SDASRO conference.
Nominations must be postmarked by March 9 in order to be considered and must include a letter of recommendation of no more than 400 words in length.
Get students started on Healthcare Video Contest entries
It’s once again time to get started making those videos! The Departments of Health, Education and Labor are once again sponsoring their annual Healthcare Video Contest. The contest officially began Feb. 6 in conjunction with Health In Partnership with Education, or HIPE, Week.
The contest is open to all South Dakota high school students, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top six finishers in each of the two categories – Promotion of Healthcare Careers and the Healthcare Workforce Shortage in South Dakota.
This year’s deadline for submissions is March 23. For additional information, go toL http://healthcareers.sd.gov/HIPEHigh.aspx, or email chrystal.wright@state.sd.us.
Google contest needs art submissions
In case you missed it, Doodle 4 Google 2012 is off to the races. As in past years, Google invites student artists in grades K-12 to use their creative imagination to redesign their logo. This year's theme is "If I could travel in time, I'd visit ... " The lucky D4G winner will not only see their artwork on Google's homepage for a day, but they will also receive $30,000 for college and $50,000 for their school – and as an added bonus, the winning artwork will also appear on a special edition of Crayola's iconic 64 box!
Even more exciting, the five state finalists and five runners-up will all see their artwork displayed at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science in Sioux Falls.
To learn more and find out how to get involved, visit www.doodle4google.com today. Submissions are due March 23, so there's not a moment to lose.
State Fair looking for student participants, work submissions
The South Dakota State Fair is once again asking teachers for help in submitting student artwork or class projects for display at the fair. There are exciting new things happening in the fair’s Arts and Education Department this year. Check out the Education Book and Entry Form for a full list of categories for submission and find out how your class can help at http://sdstatefair.com/exhibitors.asp.
Once you’ve clicked on the live link, scroll down to the chart and look for the Education row for necessary materials.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Life Skills Training
Feb. 29 – March 1, Chamberlain
Life Skills Training is a proven, highly effective, substance abuse prevention program designed to provide students with the necessary skills to resist social pressures to smoke, drink and use drugs; to help them develop greater self-esteem, self-mastery, and self-confidence; to enable children to effectively cope with social anxiety; and to increase their knowledge of the immediate consequences of substance use.
Supporting Children of the National Guard and Reserve
Feb. 22-23 in Spearfish OR March 13-14 in Mitchell
This training will help participants understand the unique challenges faced by children of members of the National Guard and Reserve components, geographically separated due to mobilization, deployment and transition of family members. Participants will establish adaptable, sustainable local models and develop a “tool kit” that helps in forming community and military local alliances, identifying community resources, providing information and raising community awareness.
Sessions run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The cost to attend is free, and credit is available for a fee. To view the complete session description, or to register, click on the listing below. Email info@MilitaryChild.org with questions.
- Feb. 22-23, Spearfish (https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=MCEC&WebCode=EventDetail&evt_key=2d668feb-fbd1-478e-ad6e-e967e7a70e25)
- March 13-14, Mitchell (https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=MCEC&WebCode=EventDetail&evt_key=6446e362-2712-4774-b014-61d8df458265)
Raising the Standards
March 12 - 13, Rapid City
Coordinated School Health will be hosting this training titled, “Raising the Standards: A Skills-Based Approach to Health Education.” This training is designed to provide teachers with specific competencies and skills to transform traditional health education lessons into engaging 21st century, skills-based lessons, and to use assessment as motivation for learning as well as assessment of learning.
Elementary, middle, and high school teachers responsible for health education in their school districts are encouraged to attend.
Early Childhood Education Conference
April 12-14, Spearfish
The theme for this year’s conference is “Planting the Seeds of Change.” There are tried and true best practices available to parents and early childhood education professionals alike, but there are always new and improved methods we may utilize to develop our future leaders.
Go to http://sdececonference-org.doodlekit.com/home for more information or to register.
26th Annual TIE Conference
April 15-17, Sioux Falls
The annual TIE Conference has gained a reputation for having the best classroom teachers, network administrators and education administrators share their strategies, methods and best practices. This year’s event will feature dozens of four-hour, in-depth workshops, nearly 100 breakout sessions, three world-class keynote speakers, an expanded exhibit hall, prizes and much more.
Watch www.tie.net/ for more information as the conference date approaches.
TEACHER FEATURE
Hatling leads by example
Fifth-grade math and social studies teacher Julie Hatling was just one of a handful of teachers from the Belle Fourche School District that recently achieved National Board Certification. Currently, Belle Fourche is behind only the state’s largest district, Sioux Falls, for employing the highest number of National Board Certified teachers – a pretty impressive feat considering Belle Fourche’s small size.
Perhaps that’s why Hatling is so quick to offer praise to the other teachers who also achieved National Board Certification – and those who helped her accomplish the goals she set for herself.
“I am constantly amazed at how people who are part of this profession are always striving to improve. Teachers are able to take a classroom of many students who are at many different levels of understanding, and they are able to move every child forward,” Hatling said. “They take classes, attend workshops, pursue degrees, and lead within their buildings. The teaching profession is a special place to be, and I am proud to be part of this community of people who are continually committed to learning.”
Those are sentiments that Hatling tries to model for her students. As part of her math workshop, Hatling’s students play many games that allow them to practice a skill independently or work together to try to out-strategize another team, to practice the skill of mental math and estimation. Hatling enjoys watching their thinking develop to the point where they can think about their next move and then be able to explain what they did. Plus, she says, the time goes by so fast, and the kids love it!
“I wanted to be a teacher because I believe that all kids can learn, and I wanted to be a part of that. I believe that it is important for me to model the behaviors that I want to see from my students. This often involves questioning their thinking and facilitating meaningful discussions,” Hatling said. “One of my most rewarding experiences as a teacher comes when my students acquire the skills necessary to be in charge of their own learning. I enjoy reaching a point when my students answer their own questions, ask questions of one another, and have very high expectations for themselves as learners.”
She also let the students share in her goals, and made them feel like they were a crucial part of the process.
“I talk a lot with my students about meeting goals and setting targets for themselves along the way. Achieving National Board Certification was a goal that I set for myself. I knew that I was going to do whatever it took to meet that goal,” she said. “My students knew that I was working hard toward a goal, and I think that modeling that determination transfers to them and their learning. This process took many hours outside of the classroom that I spent writing and reviewing my writing. It was a huge commitment that impacted my students and my family. I am grateful for all of the support that I received throughout the process. I couldn’t have done it alone.”
Achieving National Board Certification has helped Hatling be even more aware and reflective regarding her teaching strategies and methods.
“Going through this process has greatly increased my awareness of how I teach. The focus throughout was to reflect on how my teaching was impacting individual student achievement,” Hatling said. “Now, when I plan a lesson, I don’t think of what content I need to be teaching, I think of what I want my students to know and be able to do as a result of each lesson. It really is a shift in thinking about what my job entails, to who my job impacts.”