Mercer Sees Blue Ribboneers Failing; Case Still Strong for Raising Teacher Pay
Published 2015-10-12 by
Cory Allen Heidelberger
Bob Mercer sounds unimpressed with the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Teachers and Students. In his latest blog post, he appears to dismiss the 26-member panel’s ability to turn its loose list of topics into firm legislative proposals that can get past the Republican caucus.
However, Mercer’s dismissal of the Blue Ribboneers is a heaping hotdish of problematic statements [I add numbers for rebuttal clarity]:
[1] What the task force hasn’t shown yet is that salaries — last in the nation on average — are a problem for teachers and students. [2] We haven’t seen yet the link between teacher pay and student performance by school district. [3] That answer might cut to the bone — or it might not. [4] Addressing that question with state laws to penalize low-paying, low-performing school districts also would challenge the dearly-held concept of local control of schools by local school boards [Bob Mercer, “Republican Caucuses Will Decide Teacher Pay,” Pure Pierre Politics, 2015.10.11].
To respond briefly:
[1] The task force may not have shown that South Dakota teacher salaries are a problem, but the press has, with numerous articles showing teachers are leaving the profession and/or the state. Paying the lowest wages in the nation puts South Dakota at a competitive disadvantage, the effects of which have accumulated over two generations of visionless neglect.
In their analysis, Dolton and Gutierrez identify two key factors that determine how professional pay enhances teacher quality, particularly as it pertains to attracting new teachers. One, higher pay promotes competition and therefore more and better teaching applicants. Secondly, improving pay increases the “national status” of the profession, again making it more attractive to potential recruits.
Peter Dolton and Oscar Marcanero-Gutierrez, London School of Economics, 2012.
Specifically, Dolton and Gutierrez used recent PISA and TIMMS results to draw a clear statistical correlation between higher pay and student performance across different countries….
From this and other data, they conclude that a 10 percent increase in teachers’ pay would produce a 5-10 percent increase in student performance.
“Most obviously, if a government is concerned with educational outcomes,” Dolton and Gutierrez said, “then it should be aware that the quality of its teachers is of fundamental importance. Increasing teacher salaries will help schools to recruit and retain the higher ability teachers that schools need to offer all pupils a high quality education [Tim Walker, “International Study Links Higher Teacher Pay and Teacher Quality,” NEA Today, 2012.01.04].
[2b] The link shouldn’t matter; South Dakota has a moral and market imperative to value teachers as highly as surrounding states.
[3] The problem here is not with Mercer but with the Legislature: Mercer rightly observes that even when we provide clear empirical evidence that raising teacher pay does good, our Republican legislators may well ignore that evidence in favor of their political slogans (another recurring point in today’s blogging!). We can do two things about that: show the evidence and make the arguments to legislators at every crackerbarrel during session, then vote out the recalcitrants who refuse to pay attention and take action in November 2016.
[4] I’m not sure who’s talking about penalizing low-paying, low-performing school districts, but the mission of the Blue Ribbon panel is to “meaningfully fund education,” not play meanies and take money away from the districts that need the most help.
If Mercer is right, then the Blue Ribbon panel is what it looked like when Governor Dennis Daugaard proposed it back in February: one more summer study convened as a dog-and-pony show to extend the SDGOP’s inaction on K-12 education and teacher salaries for another year. Let’s hope he’s wrong. Let’s hope leaders can emerge from the Blue Ribbon panel to rouse public support for a serious plan to end South Dakota’s 30-year shame and offer teachers competitive wages.
The make-up of the commission should have provided the first clue it was designed to fail.
John
Until teachers and supporters of education register and vote on a regular basis nothing is going to change. Teachers actually voting as a block would make a difference. Maybe it’s time to pick a few legislative districts of legislators who don’t support education (Deb Soholt) and show them what happens when teachers vote.
owen reitzel
Sadly, even if the Blue Ribbon Panel comes out with recommendations, the legislature won’t do anything and the Governor can say he tried.
Sen. Mike Vehle led the charge for more funding for highways and roads. He gets it and ends up in their Hall of Fame.
Education needs the Senator or Representative that’ll lead the charge. Is there a Republican out there that will do that?
Travis Wicks
Do you think that most teachers don’t currently vote, John? I would venture to say that a higher percentage of educators are active in the electoral process than many other professions, but that just my opinion, and I can’t support that with any research or evidence.
Roger Cornelius
With South Dakota seeming to take pride as one of the most corrupt states in the country and the other side of the coin, one the lowest in teacher pay, we can easily see where money for education goes.
The SDGOP needs to stop talking about how they support education for our children and do something worthwhile about it.
I refuse to accept the notion that the state does not have the money for increased teacher pay, they have it and choose to spend it elsewhere, usually on no-bid contracts that benefit the insiders.
John, I agree: 2016 is the election where, if they haven’t been doing so already, teachers need to register their grievances at the polls… and bring all the friends they can muster to do the same.
Travis, good question. I would love to know what the turnout is among teachers, and whether teachers are putting two and two together and voting in their truest self-interest. I am fairly confident that a lot of teachers are afraid to engage in any sort of public activism, for fear of reprisals. If that is the case, and especially if the Blue Ribbon panel fails to produce results, 2016 may be the year to go for broke. Remember, teachers, they can’t fire all of us. We teachers are the scarce commodity. That gives us some leverage. Let’s use it!
Roger, you’re right: when the state wants to find money for its priorities, it manages to find that money. Make teacher pay a priority, and we can find the cash to pay for it.
Donald Pay
Well, of course they’re going to fail. South Dakota state-level “leadership” has been failing for decades when it comes to education. Why should this task force be any different?
The only thing standing between “leadership’s” failure and the failure of South Dakota’s education system are the teachers and other staff who continually bail them out, while earning diddley squat. That alone should be reason enough to boost teacher salary. Think about all that money that Mercer’s ex-boss poured into technology. No link there, yet millions were poured down that rat hole, year after year after year, while teacher salaries were nearly frozen.
Let’s see the link in school performance to Legislators’ salaries, the Governor’s salary, the Secretary of Education’s salary. Somehow we want to de-link educational failure and success from the people who under the state constitution are most responsible for our educational system. Teachers will continue to be the whipping boy, because, heavens, no, the Legislature has nothing to do with this, nothing at all.
John Wrede
I tend to think that Jaqueline Sly is trying but frankly, her party isn’t the least bit interested in taking her and the Blue Ribbon folks seriously. The entire Blue Ribbon Task Force thing is, in my opinion, a tactical ruse and a patent demonstration of the absence of leadership. Ask yourself this question; “Would this same thing have happened in the same way if Bill Janklow were still governor?” Not that I’ve ever been a Bill Janklow fan but; I would speculate that he would have “owned” the problem, decided on a solution (adequate or not) and then taken it to the legislature and said, in plain terms, this is what I want, this is what the state needs to do, now make it happen. “I’m a student of organizational behaviorist Lawrence J. Peter whose philosophy suggested that “In order to get anything done, a committee should consist of no more than three people, two of which are absent.” Daugaard hasn’t owned this problem at all and he’s just formed this commission to be a distraction. It’s what he’s done with every problem he’s faced as governor and you’ll note that virtually all of the recommendations submitted by such groups in the past have either been ignored, forgotten or lost in the confusion.
John W, I notice that when Daugaard wanted to do criminal justice reform and juvenile justice reform, he did ’em. I also see that six of the ten previous summer studies on K-12 funding took place under Janklow in his third and fourth terms.
Deb Geelsdottir
Having taught school in small town SD, I can attest to the pressure of non-involvement in anything even remotely controversial. Still, in this corrupt Koch/Republican state, they must take a stand. Those who support teachers must make sure educators know someone, many someones, have their backs.
Craig Guymon
More false nice-guys fabricated more sweetness and tagged a marketing brand name onto another Machine ruse – “Blue Ribbon Panel”. Should have tattooed it as the “Blue Shaft Panel”.
Damn Machine is corruptly broken — needs a cutting torch approach — disassemble and scrap out as useless junk.
SD Secretary of DOE’s only operational effectiveness and efficiencies — rewarding Machine cronies for their loyalty — look at how the “Curly, Larry and Mo” (Melmer, Moore and Graves) bellied up to the feed bunk at Mid Central in past years. Mo was the butt kisser who promoted HB 1234 for the governor when the power brokers attempted to eliminate teacher tenure program throughout the state.
During fiscal years 2011 to 2013, Mo drew a $121,000 salary as Mitchell’s Supt of Deceit. During this same 3-year time period, Mo also sucked up another $52,500 in compensation from Mid Central as the Director of the Teaching American History Grant educational program – pretty sweet deal for the favored Mo – $173,500. After this dishonorable Mo breached the terms of his employment contract in three consecutive years, the schmuck recently displayed his “common core math” skills and lack of integrity when he flat out lied during a KELOLAND interview claiming he had received $30,000 a year — 3-year contract $157,500 old school math says that’s $52,500.
How can someone so dishonest with such lack of candor issues be trusted with managing tens of millions of dollars each year and overseeing K-12 and MTI equal educational opportunities in the Mitchell community???
Just another example of how the Regime rolls in South Dakota — absolutely nothing to do with moderate values and majority rule!
KEEP DIGGING!
Badger, Out!
grudznick
Mr. reitzel, I have to think that there probably is. Some Republican out there to grab the education bull by the sack and herd it to the fore of the attention in the legislatures, I mean. Like Mr. Vehle did with his road taxes and such.
I don’t know who that is. It could be Ms. Sly, but it might have to be somebody bigger and ruddier than her.
Mark Remily
I don’t understand that SDEA stopped short of endorsing SDFUs petition drive to end gerrymandering in S,D,. I don’t understand why. The teachers stand to benefit more than anyone. It seems that they are satisfied with status quo.
owen reitzel
Grud I sincerely hope you’re right but I have my doubts. I’m sure there are Democrats that would but I’m afraid Democrats don’t have any power.
bearcreekbat
The 2015 South Dakota general budget equals almost $1.4 billion dollars.
It looks like Roger and Cory are right, we seem to have the $$ to provide substantial assistance for teacher pay. Indeed, if my math is correct it would cost SD $100 million dollars to give 10,000 SD K-12 teachers a $10,000 raise and this would still leave the state with $1.3 billion dollars for other priorities, such as funding no bid contracts.
Donald Pay
Well, of course, Rep. Sly is trying, but she’s just one person, and I haven’t seen as much leadership out of her as she needs to show. You know, she was a teacher, and if a student was as intent on ignoring the major conclusions to be taken from his studies as state leaders are, I bet she was pretty goddamn direct with the student.
The truth is any real change is going to require new revenue, and it really ought to come from places other than the poor and middle class. Everyone knows that, but no one has the guts to confront the real problem. Sure, there are other things that need to be done, but if you don’t have the courage to enact new revenue, you just can’t solve the problem.
SuperSweet
Get at least some of it from the number one economic driver in the state – big banks.
grudznick
Mr. Pay can make a lot of sense when his mind is not clouded with conspiracies about nuclear waste dump under-table dealings. I salute your above blogging, Mr. Pay.
moses
You actually think Soholt will do anything about education.
grudznick
Young Ms. Soholt seems very nice and very smart. She might be a great champion for the output of the BluRT-F. I would not discount her.
John2
When Daugaard wanted to do pheasant reform; he did it. Certainly teacher/school reform is a thousand times more important. Certainly?
John Wrede
I’ve seen countless legislative summer studies done on various issues over the past 30 years and I can count on one hand the number of them that have actually produced anything of honest substance. A legislative summer study is nothing more than an extended version of the republican caucus wherein agreement and concensus couldn’t reached within the controlling party during the session. Its just a lousy substitute for a filibuster.
South Dakota’s 9,300 teachers, averaging $40K per year, make $372 million. They spend most of that money in South Dakota.
Jon Holmdal
My suggestion would be for citizens and bloggers and teachers and parents and community’s from across the state without the approval of a corrupt legislature propose and support a “South Dakota Teacher’s Day” to celebrate a professional group that spends more time with our children then anyone other then parents and relatives in our children’s lives. It is something no one can deny. The teachers of South Dakota deserve that respect and they deserve much more. Pick a date –pass the word–celebrate the greatness of these professionals and let Pierre languish in one of the most inept and corrupt state governments in our country. Let our teachers make more of the decisions and we will have a better state. It is time to celebrate them– and it is time to support them–and it is time for them to stand up and make their voice heard—because our state legislature is DEAF!
Jon, would this Teacher’s Day involve busing 9,300 teachers to the Capitol during Session and occupying the gallery, the Rotunda, and the committee rooms?
moses
C.H. do you think this panel will just keep having meetings and do nothing.
Rod Hall
John Wrede, if you go back say 40 years you might have to use your other hand. Case in point: The Legislature required that a committee study the possibility of coordinating the retirement systems in SD. After a superb study carried out during the summer, legislation was presented to create the South Dakota Retirement System. The bill passed both houses with near unanimous support. SDRS is one of the best public retirement systems in the nation. I was pleased to be the designee of the Chrm. of the Legislative Research Council on that committee!
Paladn
caheidelberger: you not only pose an interesting situation but it also leads to a question: how many would appear? Perhaps teachers are their own worst enemy. Perhaps, they keep grumbling but enter the voting booth and voting for R’s. (?). Secondly, does the SD Dems offer them a choice in many districts?
Douglas Wiken
I have been watching school boards for years. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that most board members are both lazy and not always very intelligent. They don’t do the work they should and may not know either the questions or the answers. Actually measuring education is not easy. Currently the SAT and ACT tests are being revised because colleges and universities are not finding a necessary connection between high or low scores and college success. Some are abandoning their use. Other measurements can be massaged so that they really measure nothing, but show progress or quality. Several of us spent and hour or so last night at a board meeting getting a snow job via manipulated data and comparisons.
Another problem are school boards which may not understand education, but just absolutely loved participating in irrelevant athletics and thus are willing to get behind squandering disproportionate assets on athletics compared to education.
Our local system has about $8,300 in assets per actual student and something between $30,000 and $50,000 in athletic assets per participant. This is a classic example of upside down priorities driven by ego-mania and accomplishment-by- proxy mental condition.
Step 1 for the Blue Ribbon commission should be requiring funds spend for coaches and athletic buildings, buses, etc. all come out of a fund labeled “Athletics” and not from “Capital assets”, General Fund, etc. And, a separate fund for actual construction of facilities rather than maintenance, etc. Such a fund should have zero reserves in it unless voters have approved a specific facility for a specific amount. Only then could taxes be used to fund that account.
Deb Geelsdottir
Doug, I really like your Step 1. That would make it more difficult for those adults trying to carry out their fantasies of youthful athletic prowess to play that out through current students. With any luck, it would help divorce sports from education. (Who knows what kind of crapola private schools might try to pull. They already function like sports obsessed colleges, only with somewhat smaller budgets.)
Douglas Wiken
After I wrote that post, I sent it to the Task Force. I am going to put together something less rabid and try to get it into the Mitchell Paper. Supt. Graves has called for no limits on Capital Asset funds. Building up reserves by over-taxing is a recipe for failing fiduciary responsibility and boondoggle projects whose primary purpose is massaging the egos of the ego-maniacs.
Rod Hall
Doug, If anything gets into The Daily Republic, now a month after the tragedy, I will bet dollars to doughnuts that Supt. Deacon Joseph Graves writes it! Why is The Daily Republic allergic to honest reporting of events at home and in their backyard (Platte)?
owen reitzel
I’m going to have to defend the Daily Republic Rod. I know the people there and they’re good people and good journalists.
MDR doesn’t have the luxury of going off half-cocked like you Rod. They might be investigating or they might be done, I don’t know.
I’m no fan of Graves either but I can guarantee that one of the fine reporters will write it and not Graves.
Rip Graves all you want but unless you have facts Rod leave the people of the MDR alone.
mike from iowa
School boards in Texas were stealthily taken over by rw religious nuts,who want to turn public schools into bible teaching enclaves and revisionist historians.
Rod Hall
Owen,
The South Dakota Newspaper Association, of which I suspect The Daily Republic is a member, awarded me their Eagle Award for telling it like it was with Joe Graves! I was the first individual in SD to receive it. The South Dakota Supreme Court was the first and then Attorney General Larry Long was the third recipient. By the way what was Dan Guericke doinjg while this was going on?
owen reitzel
I’m happy for you Rod but what does winning that award have to do with Graves writing a story for the MDR? Nothing.
You attack the fine journalist at the paper with no facts.
What was Dan Guericke doing? Don’t know but maybe you could find out.
Doug, if the Blue Ribbon panel recommended and the Legislature adopted a plan like you outline for separating and curbing athletic funding, that might provoke the revolution we’ve been waiting for, as every legislator who voted for that plan would likely be ousted at the polls in 2016 and replaced by some ex-high-school football star.
I am really intrigued by that asset-per-student calculation. In that context, athletic investment seems grossly disproportionate to academic investment. But what’s the net? If we separated those funds and redirected that capital investment to teacher salaries, how much money would we have per teacher?
Moses, they’re only going to have one more meeting. I have to maintain faith that they will roll out some complete package of legislation. They have to; otherwise, the panel would expose itself too clearly as a dog-and-pony show. They’ve met too much and drawn too much press not to present legislation. Someone is on the phone/e-mail right now rounding up a panel consensus for some sort of proposal.
The make-up of the commission should have provided the first clue it was designed to fail.
Until teachers and supporters of education register and vote on a regular basis nothing is going to change. Teachers actually voting as a block would make a difference. Maybe it’s time to pick a few legislative districts of legislators who don’t support education (Deb Soholt) and show them what happens when teachers vote.
Sadly, even if the Blue Ribbon Panel comes out with recommendations, the legislature won’t do anything and the Governor can say he tried.
Sen. Mike Vehle led the charge for more funding for highways and roads. He gets it and ends up in their Hall of Fame.
Education needs the Senator or Representative that’ll lead the charge. Is there a Republican out there that will do that?
Do you think that most teachers don’t currently vote, John? I would venture to say that a higher percentage of educators are active in the electoral process than many other professions, but that just my opinion, and I can’t support that with any research or evidence.
With South Dakota seeming to take pride as one of the most corrupt states in the country and the other side of the coin, one the lowest in teacher pay, we can easily see where money for education goes.
The SDGOP needs to stop talking about how they support education for our children and do something worthwhile about it.
I refuse to accept the notion that the state does not have the money for increased teacher pay, they have it and choose to spend it elsewhere, usually on no-bid contracts that benefit the insiders.
John, I agree: 2016 is the election where, if they haven’t been doing so already, teachers need to register their grievances at the polls… and bring all the friends they can muster to do the same.
Travis, good question. I would love to know what the turnout is among teachers, and whether teachers are putting two and two together and voting in their truest self-interest. I am fairly confident that a lot of teachers are afraid to engage in any sort of public activism, for fear of reprisals. If that is the case, and especially if the Blue Ribbon panel fails to produce results, 2016 may be the year to go for broke. Remember, teachers, they can’t fire all of us. We teachers are the scarce commodity. That gives us some leverage. Let’s use it!
Roger, you’re right: when the state wants to find money for its priorities, it manages to find that money. Make teacher pay a priority, and we can find the cash to pay for it.
Well, of course they’re going to fail. South Dakota state-level “leadership” has been failing for decades when it comes to education. Why should this task force be any different?
The only thing standing between “leadership’s” failure and the failure of South Dakota’s education system are the teachers and other staff who continually bail them out, while earning diddley squat. That alone should be reason enough to boost teacher salary. Think about all that money that Mercer’s ex-boss poured into technology. No link there, yet millions were poured down that rat hole, year after year after year, while teacher salaries were nearly frozen.
Let’s see the link in school performance to Legislators’ salaries, the Governor’s salary, the Secretary of Education’s salary. Somehow we want to de-link educational failure and success from the people who under the state constitution are most responsible for our educational system. Teachers will continue to be the whipping boy, because, heavens, no, the Legislature has nothing to do with this, nothing at all.
I tend to think that Jaqueline Sly is trying but frankly, her party isn’t the least bit interested in taking her and the Blue Ribbon folks seriously. The entire Blue Ribbon Task Force thing is, in my opinion, a tactical ruse and a patent demonstration of the absence of leadership. Ask yourself this question; “Would this same thing have happened in the same way if Bill Janklow were still governor?” Not that I’ve ever been a Bill Janklow fan but; I would speculate that he would have “owned” the problem, decided on a solution (adequate or not) and then taken it to the legislature and said, in plain terms, this is what I want, this is what the state needs to do, now make it happen. “I’m a student of organizational behaviorist Lawrence J. Peter whose philosophy suggested that “In order to get anything done, a committee should consist of no more than three people, two of which are absent.” Daugaard hasn’t owned this problem at all and he’s just formed this commission to be a distraction. It’s what he’s done with every problem he’s faced as governor and you’ll note that virtually all of the recommendations submitted by such groups in the past have either been ignored, forgotten or lost in the confusion.
John W, I notice that when Daugaard wanted to do criminal justice reform and juvenile justice reform, he did ’em. I also see that six of the ten previous summer studies on K-12 funding took place under Janklow in his third and fourth terms.
Having taught school in small town SD, I can attest to the pressure of non-involvement in anything even remotely controversial. Still, in this corrupt Koch/Republican state, they must take a stand. Those who support teachers must make sure educators know someone, many someones, have their backs.
More false nice-guys fabricated more sweetness and tagged a marketing brand name onto another Machine ruse – “Blue Ribbon Panel”. Should have tattooed it as the “Blue Shaft Panel”.
Damn Machine is corruptly broken — needs a cutting torch approach — disassemble and scrap out as useless junk.
SD Secretary of DOE’s only operational effectiveness and efficiencies — rewarding Machine cronies for their loyalty — look at how the “Curly, Larry and Mo” (Melmer, Moore and Graves) bellied up to the feed bunk at Mid Central in past years. Mo was the butt kisser who promoted HB 1234 for the governor when the power brokers attempted to eliminate teacher tenure program throughout the state.
During fiscal years 2011 to 2013, Mo drew a $121,000 salary as Mitchell’s Supt of Deceit. During this same 3-year time period, Mo also sucked up another $52,500 in compensation from Mid Central as the Director of the Teaching American History Grant educational program – pretty sweet deal for the favored Mo – $173,500. After this dishonorable Mo breached the terms of his employment contract in three consecutive years, the schmuck recently displayed his “common core math” skills and lack of integrity when he flat out lied during a KELOLAND interview claiming he had received $30,000 a year — 3-year contract $157,500 old school math says that’s $52,500.
How can someone so dishonest with such lack of candor issues be trusted with managing tens of millions of dollars each year and overseeing K-12 and MTI equal educational opportunities in the Mitchell community???
Just another example of how the Regime rolls in South Dakota — absolutely nothing to do with moderate values and majority rule!
KEEP DIGGING!
Badger, Out!
Mr. reitzel, I have to think that there probably is. Some Republican out there to grab the education bull by the sack and herd it to the fore of the attention in the legislatures, I mean. Like Mr. Vehle did with his road taxes and such.
I don’t know who that is. It could be Ms. Sly, but it might have to be somebody bigger and ruddier than her.
I don’t understand that SDEA stopped short of endorsing SDFUs petition drive to end gerrymandering in S,D,. I don’t understand why. The teachers stand to benefit more than anyone. It seems that they are satisfied with status quo.
Grud I sincerely hope you’re right but I have my doubts. I’m sure there are Democrats that would but I’m afraid Democrats don’t have any power.
The 2015 South Dakota general budget equals almost $1.4 billion dollars.
http://bfm.sd.gov/budget/BiB/SD_BIB_FY2015.pdf
It looks like Roger and Cory are right, we seem to have the $$ to provide substantial assistance for teacher pay. Indeed, if my math is correct it would cost SD $100 million dollars to give 10,000 SD K-12 teachers a $10,000 raise and this would still leave the state with $1.3 billion dollars for other priorities, such as funding no bid contracts.
Well, of course, Rep. Sly is trying, but she’s just one person, and I haven’t seen as much leadership out of her as she needs to show. You know, she was a teacher, and if a student was as intent on ignoring the major conclusions to be taken from his studies as state leaders are, I bet she was pretty goddamn direct with the student.
The truth is any real change is going to require new revenue, and it really ought to come from places other than the poor and middle class. Everyone knows that, but no one has the guts to confront the real problem. Sure, there are other things that need to be done, but if you don’t have the courage to enact new revenue, you just can’t solve the problem.
Get at least some of it from the number one economic driver in the state – big banks.
Mr. Pay can make a lot of sense when his mind is not clouded with conspiracies about nuclear waste dump under-table dealings. I salute your above blogging, Mr. Pay.
You actually think Soholt will do anything about education.
Young Ms. Soholt seems very nice and very smart. She might be a great champion for the output of the BluRT-F. I would not discount her.
When Daugaard wanted to do pheasant reform; he did it. Certainly teacher/school reform is a thousand times more important. Certainly?
I’ve seen countless legislative summer studies done on various issues over the past 30 years and I can count on one hand the number of them that have actually produced anything of honest substance. A legislative summer study is nothing more than an extended version of the republican caucus wherein agreement and concensus couldn’t reached within the controlling party during the session. Its just a lousy substitute for a filibuster.
Yeah, but John2, pheasants are vital to South Dakota’s economy, generating $155 million in economic activity in 2014.
South Dakota’s 9,300 teachers, averaging $40K per year, make $372 million. They spend most of that money in South Dakota.
My suggestion would be for citizens and bloggers and teachers and parents and community’s from across the state without the approval of a corrupt legislature propose and support a “South Dakota Teacher’s Day” to celebrate a professional group that spends more time with our children then anyone other then parents and relatives in our children’s lives. It is something no one can deny. The teachers of South Dakota deserve that respect and they deserve much more. Pick a date –pass the word–celebrate the greatness of these professionals and let Pierre languish in one of the most inept and corrupt state governments in our country. Let our teachers make more of the decisions and we will have a better state. It is time to celebrate them– and it is time to support them–and it is time for them to stand up and make their voice heard—because our state legislature is DEAF!
Jon, would this Teacher’s Day involve busing 9,300 teachers to the Capitol during Session and occupying the gallery, the Rotunda, and the committee rooms?
C.H. do you think this panel will just keep having meetings and do nothing.
John Wrede, if you go back say 40 years you might have to use your other hand. Case in point: The Legislature required that a committee study the possibility of coordinating the retirement systems in SD. After a superb study carried out during the summer, legislation was presented to create the South Dakota Retirement System. The bill passed both houses with near unanimous support. SDRS is one of the best public retirement systems in the nation. I was pleased to be the designee of the Chrm. of the Legislative Research Council on that committee!
caheidelberger: you not only pose an interesting situation but it also leads to a question: how many would appear? Perhaps teachers are their own worst enemy. Perhaps, they keep grumbling but enter the voting booth and voting for R’s. (?). Secondly, does the SD Dems offer them a choice in many districts?
I have been watching school boards for years. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that most board members are both lazy and not always very intelligent. They don’t do the work they should and may not know either the questions or the answers. Actually measuring education is not easy. Currently the SAT and ACT tests are being revised because colleges and universities are not finding a necessary connection between high or low scores and college success. Some are abandoning their use. Other measurements can be massaged so that they really measure nothing, but show progress or quality. Several of us spent and hour or so last night at a board meeting getting a snow job via manipulated data and comparisons.
Another problem are school boards which may not understand education, but just absolutely loved participating in irrelevant athletics and thus are willing to get behind squandering disproportionate assets on athletics compared to education.
Our local system has about $8,300 in assets per actual student and something between $30,000 and $50,000 in athletic assets per participant. This is a classic example of upside down priorities driven by ego-mania and accomplishment-by- proxy mental condition.
Step 1 for the Blue Ribbon commission should be requiring funds spend for coaches and athletic buildings, buses, etc. all come out of a fund labeled “Athletics” and not from “Capital assets”, General Fund, etc. And, a separate fund for actual construction of facilities rather than maintenance, etc. Such a fund should have zero reserves in it unless voters have approved a specific facility for a specific amount. Only then could taxes be used to fund that account.
Doug, I really like your Step 1. That would make it more difficult for those adults trying to carry out their fantasies of youthful athletic prowess to play that out through current students. With any luck, it would help divorce sports from education. (Who knows what kind of crapola private schools might try to pull. They already function like sports obsessed colleges, only with somewhat smaller budgets.)
After I wrote that post, I sent it to the Task Force. I am going to put together something less rabid and try to get it into the Mitchell Paper. Supt. Graves has called for no limits on Capital Asset funds. Building up reserves by over-taxing is a recipe for failing fiduciary responsibility and boondoggle projects whose primary purpose is massaging the egos of the ego-maniacs.
Doug, If anything gets into The Daily Republic, now a month after the tragedy, I will bet dollars to doughnuts that Supt. Deacon Joseph Graves writes it! Why is The Daily Republic allergic to honest reporting of events at home and in their backyard (Platte)?
I’m going to have to defend the Daily Republic Rod. I know the people there and they’re good people and good journalists.
MDR doesn’t have the luxury of going off half-cocked like you Rod. They might be investigating or they might be done, I don’t know.
I’m no fan of Graves either but I can guarantee that one of the fine reporters will write it and not Graves.
Rip Graves all you want but unless you have facts Rod leave the people of the MDR alone.
School boards in Texas were stealthily taken over by rw religious nuts,who want to turn public schools into bible teaching enclaves and revisionist historians.
Owen,
The South Dakota Newspaper Association, of which I suspect The Daily Republic is a member, awarded me their Eagle Award for telling it like it was with Joe Graves! I was the first individual in SD to receive it. The South Dakota Supreme Court was the first and then Attorney General Larry Long was the third recipient. By the way what was Dan Guericke doinjg while this was going on?
I’m happy for you Rod but what does winning that award have to do with Graves writing a story for the MDR? Nothing.
You attack the fine journalist at the paper with no facts.
What was Dan Guericke doing? Don’t know but maybe you could find out.
Doug, if the Blue Ribbon panel recommended and the Legislature adopted a plan like you outline for separating and curbing athletic funding, that might provoke the revolution we’ve been waiting for, as every legislator who voted for that plan would likely be ousted at the polls in 2016 and replaced by some ex-high-school football star.
I am really intrigued by that asset-per-student calculation. In that context, athletic investment seems grossly disproportionate to academic investment. But what’s the net? If we separated those funds and redirected that capital investment to teacher salaries, how much money would we have per teacher?
Moses, they’re only going to have one more meeting. I have to maintain faith that they will roll out some complete package of legislation. They have to; otherwise, the panel would expose itself too clearly as a dog-and-pony show. They’ve met too much and drawn too much press not to present legislation. Someone is on the phone/e-mail right now rounding up a panel consensus for some sort of proposal.