South Dakota does not require students to study any language besides English to get a high school diploma, so revision of the K-12 world language standards doesn’t draw any of the political sturm und drang that accompanied the revision of the social studies and math standards. Bob Mercer reports that, at the first public hearing on the proposed revision in Aberdeen Monday, the Board of Education Standards discussed one question raised by the only member of the public to submit substantive concerns about the proposed revision. That sole concern, from O’Gorman Spanish teacher Dr. Sarah Sinnott, asks for a chart, measurable goals, and clearer definitions.
Dr. Sinnott was one of at least twelve practicing K-12 world language teachers that made up the majority of the standards revision committee. You can tell that, unlike the social studies and math standards, Hillsdale College didn’t come barging in to shove Project 2025 into the world language standards, since the document mentions “diverse perspectives three times. With political hacks staying out of this process, these actual world language teachers were left to do their own work, which change some language but leave the 2019 standards largely intact and devoid of any apparent political agenda.
The Board of Education Standards will continue to take public comment and hold three more public hearings before approving these uncontroversial world language standards next spring.