Time for 'truth and reconciliation' in South Dakota social studies standards, opponents say

Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
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Once again, opponents of South Dakota’s proposed social studies standards outnumbered the proponents of those same standards Monday morning in the second public hearing on the standards hosted by the Board of Education Standards in Sioux Falls.

The imbalance present in Monday’s meeting was seen in the previous meeting in Aberdeen in September, in public comments submitted to the Board ahead of that meeting and in public comments submitted to the Board ahead of Monday’s meeting in Sioux Falls.

As of Monday, the South Dakota Department of Education had received 968 public comments on the standards, with the majority − 828 − in opposition, 103 in support and 37 neutral comments, Shannon Malone, director of learning and instruction for the DOE, said.

The Aberdeen meeting saw 707 written public comments, with 67 in support, 615 in opposition and 25 neutral, as well as 23 proponents and 35 opponents signed up to speak.

More:Nearly 900 public comments submitted to Board ahead of South Dakota social studies hearing

The audience at the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.
The audience at the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.

Social studies standards are on the board’s agenda again this year after the DOE removed more than a dozen references to the Oceti Sakowin from last year’s draft of standards created by a workgroup of majority-educators.

The changes to the initial document were made without the workgroup’s consent or knowledge and sparked outcry from educators and the Indigenous community, leading to a protest in Pierre calling for the resignations of Gov. Kristi Noem, Education Secretary Tiffany Sanderson, Tribal Relations Secretary David Flute and Office of Indian Education Director Fred Osborn.

Gov. Kristi Noem ordered the standards workgroup to restart in 2022 after news of the edits. This time around, it was discovered that Noem and the governor's office staff selected the workgroup members, and a document that would become the standards was sent to workgroup members “provided by Hillsdale College,” Malone said in September.

The South Dakota Board of Education Standards meets Nov. 21, 2022 in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center. From left to right: Rich Meyer, Linda Olsen, Education Secretary Tiffany Sanderson, Board president Becky Guffin, Board vice president Terry Nebelsick, Julie Westra and Phyllis Heineman.
The South Dakota Board of Education Standards meets Nov. 21, 2022 in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center. From left to right: Rich Meyer, Linda Olsen, Education Secretary Tiffany Sanderson, Board president Becky Guffin, Board vice president Terry Nebelsick, Julie Westra and Phyllis Heineman.

Malone also shared news will be a social studies summit this summer for educators held by the DOE, as well as a road trip across South Dakota with stops at historic sites so educators can familiarize themselves with those ties.

More:Teachers in Harrisburg, Tea, Sioux Falls hold 'walk-ins' against social studies standards

Twenty-two proponents and 33 opponents were signed up to speak during Monday’s meeting, but 22 proponents and 24 opponents were both present and given time to speak Monday. Here’s how the hours-long hearing unfolded:

'By South Dakotans, for South Dakota students'

More than a dozen educators and their allies stood outside the Sioux Falls Convention Center ahead of Monday morning’s hearing.

Tim Eckart, president of the Sioux Falls Education Association, held a sign that stated, “Good history standards are good for students,” the same message as Amy Shearer, retired school librarian, had on her sign.

Educators stood outside the Sioux Falls Convention Center ahead of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in protest of the proposed social studies standards on Nov. 21, 2022. From left to right: Curt Olson, a retired school administrator, holds a sign stating "Trust teachers. Adopt the social studies standards developed by the former commission." Pat McMunigal, a retired special education teacher, holds a sign demanding "Age-appropriate learning for our students." Anita Shearer, a retired school librarian, holds a sign saying "Good history standards are good for students." Tim Eckart, president of the Sioux Falls Education Association, holds a sign stating the same as Shearer. Holly Renken, a seventh grade geography teacher at Patrick Henry Middle School, holds a sign asking to "Keep world geography in standards."

Loren Paul, president of the South Dakota Education Association, held a sign with the message, “Parents and kids and teachers together equals better history standards.”

Other signs included messages urging, “Social studies standards written by South Dakotans, for South Dakota students,” or “Children need age-appropriate learning.”

Pride in the standards from proponents

Three members of the 2022 workgroup spoke in support of the standards, including Aaron Levisay, Janet Finzen and Stephanie Hiatt.

Levisay said there was Indigenous representation on the workgroup, Finzen said the standards teach an honest history of the country, and Hiatt said she’s proud of what the workgroup created and that there is Oceti Sakowin inclusion in the standards.

Three Republican politicians also spoke, including former Sen. Maggie Sutton, from Sioux Falls; Rep. Karla Lems, from Canton; and Rep. Sue Peterson, from Sioux Falls.

More:Opponents outnumber proponents of proposed social studies standards

Sutton said without supporting the proposed social studies standards, the public education system won’t be worth supporting. Lems said students deserve the best education and shouldn’t be short-changed.

Ben Jones, state historian, and Shannon Malone with the Department of Education speak in support of the proposed social studies standards during a Board of Education Standards meeting at the Sioux Falls Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.
Ben Jones, state historian, and Shannon Malone with the Department of Education speak in support of the proposed social studies standards during a Board of Education Standards meeting at the Sioux Falls Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.

Peterson said opponents are “paid lobbyists” and made several pointed comments toward the state’s top education groups like Associated School Boards and School Administrators of South Dakota.

Multiple proponents spoke from outside of South Dakota, including S. P. Lambert, an educator at a school in Idaho that uses Hillsdale’s K-12 social studies curriculum; Robert Garrow, an educator in Colorado; David Steiner, with the Johns Hopkins School of Education; and David Goodwin, president of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, which is based in Idaho.

Other proponents included homeschool parents, recent college graduates and parents from Mitchell, Fairview and Lincoln County, who largely argued in support of the standards, because of its telling of history and patriotic focus.

The proponents did not use all the time they were allotted, as about 5 minutes remained for people to speak after the last speaker.

Time for 'truth and reconciliation,' opponents say

One member of the 2022 workgroup, four members of the 2021 workgroup and one member of the 2015 workgroup were also signed up to speak against the proposed social studies standards.

Samantha Walder, from the 2022 workgroup, and Sherri Rawstern and Sherry Johnson, with the 2021 workgroup planned to speak, but opponent testimony ended before their turns.

More:What are the biggest changes between current and proposed social studies curriculum?

Eric Toft, a member of the 2015 workgroup and a geography teacher from Brookings, said the proposed standards do not include higher-level concepts, and the current standards in place that he helped draft in 2015 are absent in what’s proposed.

Educators stood outside the Sioux Falls Convention Center ahead of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in protest of the proposed social studies standards on Nov. 21, 2022. From left to right: Jane Leonhardt, a retired teacher, holds a sign stating "Social studies standards written by South Dakotans, for South Dakota students." Rich Mittelstedt, a former social studies teacher, holds a sign stating "Children need age appropriate learning." Loren Paul, president of the South Dakota Education Association, holds a sign stating "Parents and kids and teachers together equals better history standards."

Paul Harens, with the 2021 workgroup, said politicians want to jump into the classrooms with this proposed set of standards, which dictate what’s taught without any critical thinking or debate.

A contingent of educators spoke in opposition of the standards, including Jeff Danielson, Watertown superintendent; Ryan Rolfs, with SDEA; Michael Amolins, from the Harrisburg School District; Clayton Lehmann, a history professor at the University of South Dakota; Dawn Marie Johnson, from the Sioux Falls School District; and, Linda Heerde, a Harrisburg school board member.

Multiple parents also opposed the standards, including Tanna Stadler, Emily Fink, Shannon Steckelberg, Brenda Van Beek, Katherine Erdman Becker and Crystal Goeneweg.

Fink said the standards are too complex and not cognitively appropriate for students like her 8-year-old son. Steckelberg said if children can’t even read the standards, they won’t comprehend them. Goeneweg said students won’t find success with these standards “due to no fault of their own.”

More:Educators question ‘age appropriateness’ of South Dakota's proposed social studies standards

One current high school student, Benjamin Daggett, from Tea, said students will be driven out as a result of these standards and it will make it more difficult for future educators to teach all subjects.

The audience at the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.
The audience at the South Dakota Board of Education Standards meeting in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center on Nov. 21, 2022.

Several Indigenous leaders also opposed, including Peter Lengkeek, chair of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe; Brian Wagner, an education consultant for the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and education director for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; and Kyrie Dunkley, vice president of the Indian Education Parent Committee in Sioux Falls.

Wagner said all nine tribes in South Dakota oppose the proposed social studies standards. Dunkley pointed to the “truth and reconciliation” ribbon skirt she wore Monday and told the Board that recognizing Indigenous voices in the state is the first step to reconciliation.

What happened since the last meeting?

The DOE sent out two op-ed pieces on the standards ahead of Monday’s meeting, one from Finzen, and one from Osborn.

Since the last meeting, the Belle Fourche school district had estimated there would be a $9 million cost for school districts statewide to implement the standards, and the school board soon after issued a statement opposing the standards.

The Board set future public hearing dates for Feb. 11 in Pierre and April 17 in Rapid City. The Saturday date was requested by opponents, so more working people and educators could be present.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota social studies standards opposed again at public hearing