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South Dakota teachers brace for changes to instruction

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012 14:32 PM



South Dakota, like 44 other states across the country, made the decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In the case of the Mount Rushmore State, part of the appeal of the Standards was their ability to ensure quality and consistency across South Dakota's education system, according to a press release.

With so many educators teaching in schools throughout the state, it is a given that different instructors have their own unique views on the CCSS. One thing most of them seem to agree on is the new Standards mean huge changes for instruction in South Dakota.

"This is just a lot of changes all at once," Jennifer Munger, principal of the Agar-Blunt-Onida Elementary School, told the Onida Watchman. "We need to have some time to develop it. This essentially changes everything."

Kevin Pickner, superintendent of the Agar-Blunt-Onida School District, also anticipates great changes to the state's classrooms, as the CCSS will push students to become "deeper, more critical thinkers." Even teachers' responsibilities will shift under the Common Core, with these instructors taking on a role similar to that of a music conductor, Pickner said. 


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