The proposed Social Studies Standards for South Dakota’s schools are continuing their hearing schedule with the Board of Education Standards in 2023.
You can read the proposed standards here, which had their first hearing in September at which many South Dakota public school educators and administrators testified in opposition.
The overall sentiment of opposing testimony is the standards were not developed by South Dakota educators as has been the process for years, but rather handpicked from the Michigan-based Hillsdale College, they are not age appropriate for most of the grade levels they are assigned and are a sweeping departure from what is currently taught in Social Studies in public schools.
ASBSD has drafted a sample school board resolution as an option for your board to consider should you wish to collectively state your opposition to the proposed Social Studies Standards. ASBSD will not be collecting the approved resolutions, it is just for your consideration.
Download the sample school board resolution (PDF) here and the sample school board resolution (Word) here.
The sample school board resolution states opposition to the proposed Social Studies Standards based on the process they were chosen, and the concerns associated with their potential implementation.
It also asks the State Board of Education Standards to request the current Social Studies Content Standards Commission reach a compromise with the current proposal and the standards presented in 2021.
Even though the State Board of Education Standards meets later this month, there is ample time for your board to continue discussion on the proposed Social Studies Standards and to consider if the sample school board resolution is something your board agrees with and would like to pass, as there will be no official action on the proposed standards until 2023.
Should your board choose to pass the sample school board resolution, you could also choose to share that decision with the State Board of Education Standards through their public comment portal, which can be found by clicking here, as you see fit. Individual comments can also be submitted at that link. ASBSD will not be collecting the approved resolutions, it is just for your consideration.
If you have questions about the proposed standards or the opposition, please contact ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany at wpogany@asbsd.org or 605-773-2500.