Superintendent Column
2020-2021
A Year Like No Other
May 2021
As the school year draws to a close, it may go down in history as both the longest and shortest year ever. Many things have felt different, but there are just as many or more things that feel completely normal, especially at this point in the year.
Over the past two weeks I’ve attended elementary, middle, and high school recognition events and marvel at the accomplishments of our students.
· Our students have stayed in the classroom and excelled academically.
· Our students have stayed on the field and the court and played competitively.
· Our students have stayed on the stage and performed beautifully.
· Our students have stayed the course and completed the year successfully.
As things unfold across the country there are many districts that have only recently returned students to the classroom, and just as many that will not see students in person at all this year. When I think about the future of our SFSD students, particularly our seniors moving on from this year, they will have a tremendous advantage compared to many of their peers. I’m so proud of the resilience they have shown and their accomplishments.
Our District has provided learning in the classroom all year because of the courage and tenacity of our SFSD staff. They showed up under uncertain circumstances, adjusted their way of teaching, changed the structure of the classroom, and altered their daily practice in order to keep kids in school, and we’re grateful. They have functioned as a team, and I am equally proud of their resilience and accomplishments this year.
We missed having our volunteers and people coming to our buildings on a regular basis, and we hope many of those missing pieces can be restored for 2021-22. We became acutely aware of the impact of so many partnerships when we had to do without those connections this year. Our goal is to revitalize and renew those important community relationships as we grow forward next year.
Sioux Falls is an amazing place and we have so many things for which to be thankful. As someone new to the community, I have been overwhelmed more than a few times at the number of people and organizations who care deeply about the well-being and success of both our students and families and our entire School District. So many have contributed time, resources, and expertise all in an effort to have great opportunities for all of our children. I recently met someone who has been volunteering at SFSD events for 63 years! That is a legacy of commitment so many have demonstrated, and we are grateful!
The community embraces our schools and believes in the value of public education. The city welcomes diversity and partners with us as we continue to grow in our ability to make everyone feel seen, valued, and included. I am so grateful for the way this District pulled together and stayed the course. Families, students, staff, and the community – together, we all made this year a reality for our children.
We have great opportunities to grow, improve, and innovate moving forward, including our upcoming summer programs for students, two new schools opening in the fall, and a celebration of the SFSD 150th year. Our new District Priorities will guide the work as we envision a bright future for our children. Thank you for staying the course, and congratulations on the successful completion of this historic school year!
150 Years: Celebrating Public Education in Sioux Falls
April 2021
ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al - /ˌseskwəsenˈtenēəl/
adjective
1. relating to the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of a significant event.
If the Sioux Falls School District was holding a spelling bee in 2021, a good word to
stump even a few of our best spellers might be “sesquicentennial.” A common practice at spelling bees is for the announcer to say the word, define it, and then use it in a sentence. That sentence might be “The Sioux Falls School District is celebrating its sesquicentennial in the 2021-22 school year.”
The Sioux Falls School District was formally established on July 3, 1871. Old records indicate the first school opened in 1870 in the Government Barracks under the direction of teacher Mary A. Benton who trained 17 pupils. However, it was the summer of 1871 when newly elected Minnehaha County Superintendent John Bippus divided the county into seven school districts as one of his first official acts. District #1 was comprised of the entire Sioux Falls township. Still, it took another two years for its first school board to be established with elected members being A. Gale, Director; R.F. Pettigrew, Clerk; and D.S. Goodyear, Treasurer.
It is humbling to think about the exponential value public education has brought to the community through the students who have graduated with a Sioux Falls School District diploma over the past 150 years. We have launched so many successful people who fill every career and job title currently and previously needed and known. We believe this is a feat worth celebrating!
A Planning Committee made up of parents and community members has been meeting since February to determine a fitting theme, and design memorable activities that can be embraced by all stakeholders.
Before school starts again in the fall, we will launch our plan for activities and events to be held throughout the 2021-2022 school year. The theme is “Rooted in Our Past ~ Reaching for Our Future.” The committee is hoping to engage with former staff members, alumni, community members, current parents, students, and employees to highlight all we have achieved in the previous 150 years and to establish new and exciting goals to launch us into the next 150 years. If your path took you through SFSD, dig out your old photos and memorabilia. We are setting up a digital time capsule by decade.
The launch of the District 150th Anniversary celebration will also include the unveiling of new strategic priorities to guide our work as we aspire to be the best school district in the nation. This is a lofty goal, but who better to achieve it than a school district that has 150 years of success in its rearview mirror and one that is committed to continuous improvement for the next century and beyond.
Sesquicentennial isn’t an easy word to say or to spell. But, paraphrasing the great Theodore Roosevelt, we believe nothing worth doing comes easy. We look forward to celebrating this milestone in our history with all of you!
A Vision for the Future
March 2021
The Sioux Falls School District enjoys a long history of academic success. Formally established July 3, 1871, our community will celebrate the District’s 150th Anniversary with some fun and engaging events planned over the next several months. We hope you will join in the sesquicentennial activities when they are announced in celebration of public education in Sioux Falls!
From the early days of education in a one-room schoolhouse at the corner of 13th Street and Main Avenue to opening two new schools in the Fall of 2021, it is humbling to think of the thousands of students who have walked the halls and earned a diploma from the Sioux Falls School District. Those graduates with the help of their teachers have, indeed, impacted our community, state, and nation with countless, positive contributions.
Looking back to reflect on success is always inspiring. However, looking ahead to chart the course of education in Sioux Falls for the next 150 years brings with it an even more exciting opportunity. For the past month, our team has been visiting schools to meet with staff and listen to their ideas for how we can make the Sioux Falls School District the best in the nation. These conversations have already identified some consistent needs across the District. Further, they have allowed me to see the passion and commitment of our staff and the hopes and dreams they have for their students on a raw and personal level.
This month, we are meeting with parents and community members to learn what priorities they believe will propel our students into future success. We are asking for input on factors that need to be considered as we start this work, barriers to be addressed if we are to achieve our goals, and key priorities that will move our schools forward and bring exciting opportunities for our students.
While challenging in many aspects, the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed public schools to reassess educational delivery and the social and emotional needs of students. It has challenged us to question and, where necessary, change the status quo. Now is the time to dream big and set our expectations for the future. It is exciting to think of the possibilities that lie ahead for students in the Sioux Falls Public Schools.
The Truth About Tests
February 2021
At the start of the 2020-21 school year, no one knew exactly what learning would look like. Could students stay focused enough to learn or would they be distracted by masks? How could instructional groups be formed to meet the needs of learners with social distancing in place? How much learning was lost from going remote last spring?
At the start of the 2020-21 school year, no one knew exactly what learning would look like. Could students stay focused enough to learn or would they be distracted by masks? How could instructional groups be formed to meet the needs of learners with social distancing in place? How much learning was lost from going remote last spring?
Now, solidly in the middle of third quarter and with vaccinations becoming more readily available in our community, there is a strong possibility that, with continued hard work and diligence, we will make it through the entire year with students in our classrooms. As we navigate some of the challenges that may still come this year, our focus is now shifting to the needs that may linger long past the pandemic into the future. What are the lasting effects we need to plan for as we look ahead to next year and beyond?
For many months now, educational leaders across the nation have been talking about how the pandemic’s ripple will be felt in the future. Our own staff also recognize those realities, along with the “regular” challenges of any school year. It almost feels like we are now on a train track instead of a highway – the regular school year and the COVID track that runs parallel to it.
The academic benchmarks our students and schools strived to achieve not long ago are now viewed through the lens of a pandemic, and the gaps that exist will need to be filled over time. We can take some comfort in knowing this is not just a Sioux Falls problem or a South Dakota problem, but rather a world-wide problem. The good news is that Sioux Falls Public Schools has persevered through the pandemic and continues to stand ready to provide the support our students need.
Teachers use many tools to assess student learning. Conversations, daily work, journal entries, and exams help us determine success. This year, those tools are more important than ever. In March and April, Sioux Falls students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 will complete the South Dakota Assessments. Teachers use the information to make decisions about the individual support or acceleration needed for each student. They refine and refocus instruction so targeted supports can be used when working one-on-one or in a small group with your child.
As a District, we look at the results through multiple lenses – district, level, school, and grade levels, analyzing trends, allocating our resources to match the needs, and determining the effectiveness of our programs.
While few people really love taking tests, it is important to understand the connection between results that drive instruction and the ability to help students achieve more. Teachers can be more effective, our District is more successful, and our community ultimately benefits when our future workforce has the skills needed to conquer any challenge that comes their way.
Mentoring Matters
January 2021
A quick search of the internet reveals no shortage of inspiring quotes about the value of a quality mentoring relationship. Leaders, past and present, recognize the power of walking along side someone to share in the learning and growth for ourselves and others.
· “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving
them the opportunity to create themselves.” - Director/Producer Steven Spielberg
· “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” – Poet and Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson
· “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” – Scientist and Ecologist Rachel Carson
· “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember involve me and I learn.” – Inventor and Founding Father of the United States Benjamin Franklin
Positive mentoring relationships exist throughout business and industry, on the fields and courts of sports activities, and perhaps most importantly, in the classrooms and hallways of our public schools.
The Sioux Falls School District is better because our seasoned teachers support new teachers leading a classroom for the first time. Veteran principals guide aspiring administrators, and thanks to established programs like Lutheran Social Services School-Based Mentoring and TeamMates, community volunteers build meaningful relationships with students through regular mentoring opportunities.
While COVID-19 has limited in-person meetings between mentors and mentees at schools this year, those who understand the value of mentoring relationships have been working hard to overcome challenges for second semester.
With the support of the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary Club, which is championing Mayor Paul Ten Haken’s “Sioux 52 Initiative,” virtual mentoring will be piloted in a few schools during the second semester. This means students will be able to re-connect with their mentor to continue to learn and grow with the support of another caring adult. I could not be more pleased with the way in which our community has responded to finding a way to make mentoring happen, even amidst the pandemic.
In my short time in Sioux Falls, not only have I been impressed with the community’s philanthropic support for our public schools, I have also been impressed by the fortitude of the many genuinely caring individuals who recognize that time continues to be a valuable gift for those most in need. Where there is a will, there is a way!
January is National Mentoring Month, and as a long-time mentor myself, I encourage you to consider being a mentor. If you have time to listen, share your own personal experiences, appreciate honest conversations, and want to make a difference in the life of a child, you will be a great mentor! Contact one of our schools to get started.
The immediate rewards are smiles, laughter, and friendship, and the real return on investment is the kind of personal growth that is hard to learn from a book.
Who Do You Know?
December 2020
As educators, we often say graduation is the culmination of a student’s K-12 experience. But, in our school district, there are a number of learners who choose to never graduate. It’s not because they didn’t complete their coursework or fulfill all of the requirements for graduation, but rather because they are life-long learners who stay in school to teach others.
These people are voracious learners, always searching for something more to accomplish, some way to make an impact, and approach their work with an attitude of service. They embrace the challenges presented by their students and enjoy the conquest of cracking the code that allows them to connect with each learner.
It takes a special kind of person to be a teacher, and a super-human person to be a teacher during a pandemic.
Nominations are now open for the 33rd Annual Dr. John W. Harris Sioux Falls Teacher of the Year. For more than three decades, local business Vern Eide Motorcars has sponsored this award because it believes success is a two-way street. Strong businesses need strong schools and successful public schools need successful, locally owned businesses that are invested in the community.
Perhaps that reciprocal relationship became even more apparent during the 2020-21 school year. After schools and businesses closed in the spring, teachers went to work transforming in-person instruction to online learning in a matter of days. Was it perfect? No. But the school closure heightened the need for students, parents, staff members, and the community to access quality education, maintain a sense of normalcy, and practice resiliency.
Sioux Falls teachers turned their kitchens into classrooms mounting white boards and projecting virtual lessons on the walls to help their students stay on track. They held virtual meetings with students to check on their health and well-being. They managed their “classroom” of 25 students, some while also occupying their own young children in the background because daycares were closed.
Teachers were heralded as heroes at the start of the pandemic and they are still heroes today. We know they will continue to be viewed as such far into the future when the pandemic becomes a distant memory.
While the concepts they are teaching have stayed the same, nearly every other aspect of their profession has changed. Classrooms look different. Routine practices like lunch and recess have been modified. They wear face coverings, making it harder to teach and to connect personally with each student. These people, whose hearts are bigger than their bodies, pour every ounce of energy they have into children who are “educationally” their own.
Do you know a teacher who has gone above and beyond? Do you have a few minutes to tell us how that teacher has supported your child and others during the past year?
You have until Monday, January 25, 2021 at 5pm to submit a nomination. Thanks to Vern Eide, the winner of this prestigious award receives a $4,000 cash prize. While that prize is certainly a generous perk, we can guarantee that every nominee on the list will feel even richer just seeing their nomination and knowing their hard work is recognized and appreciated.
Challenges Spark Opportunities
November 2020
Every day we are faced with the possibility that every word spoken, and every action taken will be scrutinized through a political lens. While it is the right of every American to choose how they align their values, and with whom, it is also imperative that every citizen respects the rights of their neighbors to the same degree they value their own.
While our nation and the media continue to dissect the news of the day and the actions of those in power, your public schools are a place where we will continue to encourage diversity of thought and unity between people above divisiveness.
This year, we chose the theme of #together to characterize those values. As we face the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, we are stronger when we are #together, encouraging one another, serving each other, and caring for students. As we see the needs of our country and community, we are better when we seek to understand all viewpoints and choose to work #together for the common good.
Every day in our Sioux Falls classrooms, teachers are delivering meaningful lessons in the core content areas, in the arts, and in the subjects that teach students how to analyze and express their own ideas and viewpoints. As we teach the mathematical principles of Pythagorean Theory and the difference between a noun and a verb, we are also developing independent thinkers and the leaders of tomorrow. These lessons help students weigh information from many sources and use critical thinking skills to make important decisions throughout their lives.
As I meet with students across the district, I am continually encouraged and uplifted. They believe in the power of listening to others, understanding and building on the ideas of their peers to make things better, and respecting the value of diversity and the importance of inclusion. I believe if we invest well in these leaders of tomorrow, we have a brilliant future ahead for both Sioux Falls and our country.
These are challenging times, and from challenges come opportunities – in politics, in learning, and in life. Each day is a new opportunity in your public schools, and we are grateful for every moment we spend with your child, supporting them as they grow into a unique individual who will bring their gifts and talents to shape the future.
Our Work Amid COVID
October 2020
I recently worked on a document and before sending it, applied a watermark to indicate it was a DRAFT copy. You’ve probably all seen a document with a watermark at one point or another. You can clearly see the copy, but on every page the watermark serves as some type of reminder.
That’s how COVID feels this year. There is an ever-presence about it, yet we recognize other priorities can’t be overlooked.
- Student achievement data must be to reviewed to guide instructional decisions.
- Two new schools are opening next fall with construction going on every day.
- Seniors are beginning to make post-graduation plans.
- Decisions about summer program offerings are upon us.
- Winter sports and activities will be starting just around the corner.
- Work on the updated strategic plan begins second semester.
No matter what challenges lie in front of us, each day students, staff, and parents/guardians have an opportunity to get better. How can we incorporate a mindset of continuous improvement into everything we do? John Maxwell says that continuous improvement “comes to the steady people who keep working at getting better.” That means hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year.
As stakeholder help the District envision the next strategic plan, a continuous strategic improvement mindset must be embedded in everything we do. But long before we have that document finalized, we can all be putting this firmly in place now, despite COVID or any other barrier.
- Are more students present and engaged in their learning today than yesterday?
- Did my child read more pages this week than last week?
- Are we, as a family, focused on doing our best today with a goal of being even better tomorrow?
COVID has proven to be a challenge. But, we cannot let it win. As educators and parents, our work never ends – that’s the “continuous” in continuous improvement. We need to celebrate successes, and when we have the mindset of getting better, every day is an opportunity for celebration – for students, for staff, and for our district.
I’m trying to see the gray word in the background less and focus on the real work at hand more. I hope you will, too. Together, we’re going to keep moving forward and help our students do the same.
Public Schools Rise to Challenge
September 2020
Though daunting, at times, I am proud and humbled to say, “We are back!”
After months of planning, adjusting, and redefining education amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the Sioux Falls School District successfully opened the doors to smiling faces on August 27, 2020 following the March 13, 2020 closure.
Classrooms look a little different where plexiglass and PVC are now as common as desks. Dots and arrows guide the way on our floors, and face coverings that were added to school supply lists have now become a daily item and a fashion statement. While practices and protocols may be different, one thing has not changed.
Public schools continue to rise to the challenge.
The first tax-supported public school opened in Massachusetts in the late 1630s. Though it took the framers of the U.S. Constitution some work to ensure uniformity and access, public schools today largely operate on the same principles on which they were founded.
Horace Mann is often credited for the organization of public schooling. He believed:
1) the public should no longer remain ignorant; (2) that such education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public; (3) that this education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds; (4) that this education must be non-sectarian; (5) that this education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society; and (6) that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers.
Those principles hold true today whether students are learning in a traditional classroom or virtually from their home. Time and again, in addition to teaching academics, public schools have added services to solve challenges in America. In recent history, public schools have:
- Answered poverty concerns through nutritional breakfasts/lunches;
- Added vocational training and a detailed focus on science, technology, engineering and math;
- Ensured equitable access to education for all students, no matter their ability;
- Educated students who did not speak English;
- Provided nursing, counseling, and crisis-intervention services to improve social/emotional well-being;
- Established safety protocols for protection from violence;
- Expanded cultural understanding and embraced diversity.
Whenever a societal issue presents itself, public schools rise to the occasion, and never has this been more apparent than our current work to keep education going during the pandemic. Public schools are creative, responsive, and most importantly, inclusive. Any student who comes through our doors is provided with the opportunity to learn.
This is not the first nor the last time public schools will endure hardship and challenges. Thank you for standing with us as we navigate COVID-19 and for supporting our school district in so many ways! We stand ready to serve students and families now and in the days ahead no matter what comes our way.
We are #proudtobesfsd!
A Fall to Remember
August 2020
No matter the age or the circumstances, the start of a school year is always an exciting time. This year, however, could be one of the most memorable since few of us have ever returned to school during a pandemic! The Fall of 2020 will certainly be an unforgettable milestone in my career as I begin my role as superintendent of the Sioux Falls Public Schools.
It is a role I eagerly embrace, especially amid this challenging time. COVID-19 has touched the lives of all of us in some way. It has altered plans. It has renewed our focus on basic practices like washing our hands often. It has even helped some of us recognize we are not cut out to be teachers!
While I add that line to lighten the mood, it is true that COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to experience the value of a strong public education system. There is an “art” to teaching and to helping students use their knowledge to problem solve and think critically.
District leaders have been using their problem-solving skills all summer to reimagine classroom configurations, develop new routines for simple things like lunch and recess, and create staggered dismissal times and one-way hallways to relieve congestion during passing periods.
We have defined learning expectations and added technology to streamline communications and connections with students and families. These tools will be valuable whether we are offering education “in-person” in our classrooms, remotely where students learn from home, or through some type of hybrid calendar.
We have involved hundreds of stakeholders in our planning, including parents, teachers, principals, community members, local and state medical professionals, and too many more to mention. Preparations for this school year look different than preparations of the past. While classrooms will “look” a bit different this year, too, it is important to remember that school is still school, and we are all capable of doing our best!
Thank you for partnering with us. Welcome to the 2020-21 school year!
Superintendent of Sioux Falls Public Schools
July 2020
Greetings Parents, Staff, Students, and Stakeholders in the Sioux Falls School District! I am so honored to join this incredible District as, together, we continue moving forward to take teaching and learning to a new level of success in the next decade!
While I come to you from the State of Washington, I am a true Midwesterner with deep roots previously established in Minnesota and Nebraska, and family ties bring me back home. Transitioning to a new superintendency is challenging at any point, but transitioning during a global pandemic brings a whole new set of challenges - especially for a people person like me!
While meeting others over technology has become the "new norm," I much prefer face-to-face introductions and interactions. I'm looking forward to meeting our teachers and staff members when I visit schools and see all the ways they bring teaching and learning to live in the classrooms. I am also looking forward to the days when I can be a visible champion in the bleachers and auditorium seats to cheer on our Sioux Falls Public School students as they discover and develop their unique gifts and talents.
In the coming months and years, we'll work together to strengthen the already high-quality academic and extracurricular programs and I look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback because strong community support is vital to the continued growth of our students and our schools.
- Dr. Jane Stavem, Superintendent
Sioux Falls School District
Website: http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/our-district/superintentdent-of-schools
Location: 201 East 38th Street, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: (605) 367-7900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict?fref=ts
Twitter: @SFSchools