DOE announces smaller, revamped workgroup to change social studies standards

A group of more than a dozen people is now tasked with reworking the social studies standards after last year’s standards process was delayed, then relaunched by Gov. Kristi Noem.

Nearly four dozen people worked on the standards last year, since social studies standards were last adopted in 2015 and need to be reviewed every seven years.

The workgroup presented its standards to the DOE by July 26, and the DOE then released its revised version of that recommendation to the public on Aug. 6. But the difference between the two documents showed the DOE’s version had removed more than a dozen references to the Oceti Sakowin.

More: 'It's like the present-day erasure of Native Americans': Workgroup responds to DOE changes

Days later, workgroup members called out those changes and said the workgroup didn’t agree with them.

Those changes to the standards sparked an Oceti Sakowin March for Our Children in Pierre, where hundreds of marchers demanded Indigenous history education for all and called for Noem and other government officials to resign.

Eventually, Noem asked to delay, then later relaunch the social studies standards process because of differences between the DOE and workgroup, and between Noem and a consultant the state hired to oversee the process.

The workgroup that the Department of Education announced Friday is considerably smaller than last year’s workgroup, and therefore has fewer educators involved in the process. Last year, nearly four dozen people worked on the standards. This year, only 15 are on the workgroup.

All together, the workgroup has representation from the governor’s office, two legislators, the state historian, at least two tribal members, a director for a religious group, a professor and several teachers.

More: DOE seeks applicants for second social studies standards revision workgroup

Here’s the workgroup makeup, and information about their careers available through public records and LinkedIn:

• Mark Miller, Gov. Kristi Noem’s chief of staff, will chair the commission

• Joe Circle Bear, citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

• Janet Finzen, a resident of North Sioux City and a teacher at Winnebago Public School in Nebraska

• Stephanie Hiatt, an alum of the University of Sioux Falls

• Ben Jones, state historian and former DOE secretary

• Dylan Kessler, director of operations at Primrose Retirement Communities

• Aaron Levisay, former facilities manager in the U.S. Military

• Christopher Motz, director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference

• Shaun Nielsen, social studies teacher at West Middle School in Rapid City

• Fred Osborn, State Director of Indian Education

• Jon Schaff, professor of political science at Northern State University

• Mary Shuey, a retired teacher who once taught in the Dakota Valley School District and whose teaching certificate is now invalid

• Rep. Tamara St. John, a Republican from Sisseton

• Samantha Walder, principal of Legacy Elementary School in Tea

• Sen. John Wiik, a Republican from Big Stone City

Neither Wiik nor St. John serve on education committees in the Legislature.

The workgroup’s first meeting date is set for May 4. They will continue to meet throughout the summer with a facilitator who will manage the preparation of the draft of the standards that will be submitted to the public for review.

DOE Secretary Tiffany Sanderson said the goal of the review process is to receive input from a diverse range of experts, including parents, educators, and Native Americans to create the best standards for schools.

Sanderson said students should also learn “true, honest and balanced social studies.”

“This thorough and transparent process allows for us to develop strong and comprehensive standards for our schools to continue to improve upon the education provided to our children,” Sanderson said.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SDDOE names smaller, new workgroup to revise social studies standards