By Editorial Staff
Trojan Tribune Staff
Photo courtesy of the Rapid City Journal
In his January 10 State of the State presentation to the people of South Dakota, Governor Dennis Daugaard outlined his vision for the future of pubic education. In it, he spoke of his belief in targeting resources to reward students and teachers who show dedication to academic improvement.
“My plan provides bonuses for the best, while continuing support to all teachers’ regular salaries, to provide rewards for inspiring success in our students,” Daugaard stated during his speech. His plan will provide salary bonuses for the top 20 percent of teachers, as well as bonuses for math and science educators. The plan comes with a 2.3 percent increase in state aid to education after cuts were made to the program in last year’s budget.
To support his plan, Daugaard cited state spending statistics that reach back 40 years. Since 1971, South Dakota student enrollment has fallen 28.5 percent, yet the number of teachers in the state has increased by 10 percent. Per pupil spending has also steadily increased by 2.3 percent since that time, but South Dakota students, who used to be among the top students in the nation, are falling behind their neighbors. In 2003 South Dakota’s fourth grade reading scores were surpassed by only four other states, and today, 20 states are ahead of us.
These numbers constitute a time-tested truth about the relationship between money and education; higher per pupil spending does not necessarily lead to a higher quality education. Nonetheless, the Sioux Falls School district has come out against the governor’s proposal, with Board Vice President Doug Morrison saying, “We’re defending ourselves against something we shouldn’t have to defend ourselves against, and that’s a little disappointing.”
In a January 30 meeting of the senior editorial members of the Tribune staff, the board decided that the values of the Sioux Falls School district do not reflect our own, and we are proud to endorse the governor’s education proposal. It will be a policy of fiscal soundness, responsibility and incentive, and we appreciate the state’s plan to reward teachers who demonstrate academic improvement. The decision to endorse was not entirely unanimous due to one dissenting vote, but the board overwhelmingly agreed with the governor’s goals and concurred with his historical evidence.
A spirit of competition can only lead to an improvement in our teaching system, and with that spirit, we will once again reclaim our position as a state with a leading educational institution.
