Billie Sutton: the Right Choice
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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 50 | ISSUE 1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE SD-Epic Recommended — 2 | President’s Corner— 4 See Educators Run — 5 | 6 Reasons Why — 7 BILLIE SUTTON: THE RIGHT CHOICE DATES TO REMEMBER FOR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS s educators, we know that SEPTEMBER 23 every decision made about our South Dakota Indian classrooms and schools is a Education Summit politicalA decision. We also know that in Pierre the coming year, South Dakotans will elect a new governor who will have a SEPTEMBER 29 tremendous impact on those decisions. SDEA Fall Leadership That is why it is crucial that as educators, we raise our voices and help elect the Conference candidate who has demonstrated time Rapid City and time again that providing a great education for all students, regardless OCTOBER 8 of their zip code, is a priority. As SDEA Native American Day President, I am pleased to announce that the SD-EPIC Steering Committee is Marty Jackley, accepted the invitation to talk (SDEA offices closed) recommending State Senator Billie Sutton to be about their vision for public education in South the next governor of South Dakota. Dakota. The recommendation is based on OCTOBER 13 Billie’s responses during the interview and his Senator Sutton has been a tireless advocate SDEA Fall Leadership proven record for public education. for schools and children. He played a crucial Conference role with the Blue-Ribbon Task Force ensuring The following are a few of Senator Sutton’s Sioux Falls bipartisan support for the half-penny sales responses to the SD-EPIC Questionnaire: tax for salary increases. Billie’s willingness What is your vision for South Dakota? OCTOBER 17–19 to reach across the aisle has led to increases System Change Conference in education funding that may not have My vision is a South Dakota where every child Sioux Falls happened otherwise. He is a champion of our has the same or better opportunities than we students from early childhood through post- had. I want to see a South Dakota economy that secondary education. Billie knows the value of encourages people to want to live, work, and NOVEMBER 6 raise a family in our state. We must strive for an Election Day all educators: teachers and education support professionals alike. Public education could not economy that gives our people the opportunity to find a better advocate for our students than get ahead. NOVEMBER 12 Billie Sutton. What are your priorities for South Dakota? Veterans Day (observed) What led to the decision to recommend Billie? My priorities for South Dakota will be Education, (SDEA offices closed) The SD-EPIC Steering Committee invited all Healthcare, Government Transparency, and the announced gubernatorial candidates to sit Economic Development. As governor, I intend down with our members from across the state to provide more resources for education, for an interview. Billie and one other candidate, develop our workforce with further educational — continued to page 2 SOUTH DAKOTA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | VOTER’S GUIDE H NOVEMBER ELECTION | 2018 H 2018 SD-EPIC RECOMMENDED STATE LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES District 1 District 14 District 26 Senate Susan Wismer** House Tom Holmes* Senate Troy Heinert* House Steven McCleery* House Larry Zikmund* Senate Deb Soholt* District 26A District 2 House Shawn Bordeaux** House Jenae Hansen District 15 Senate Reynold Nesiba** District 26B District 3 House Deb Smith House Carl Perry District 17 Senate Corey Heidelberger House Ray Ring* District 28A House Nancy Rassmussen* House Oren Lesmeister** District 4 Senate Arthur Rusch* House Fred Deutsch District 30 House Karen McGregor District 18 District 5 Senate Craig Kennedy* House Whitney Raver House Bret Reis House Ryan Cwach Senate Lee Schoenbeck + District 31 House Jean Hunhoff* House Tim Johns* House Charles Turbiville* District 6 District 19 House Herman Otten House Kyle Schoenfish* Senate Bob Ewing* District 7 Senate Ardon Wek District 32 House Bill Adamson House Susan Kelts District 20 House Tim Reed* House Ione Klinger Senate Alan Solano* Senate VJ Smith House James Schorzman District 33 House David Johnson* District 8 District 21 Senate Scott Parsley Senate Julie Bartling* House Lilias Jarding District 9 District 22 District 34 House Michael Saba House Roger Chase* House Michael Diedrich* House Deb Peters* House Bob Glanzer* House George Nelson District 10 Senate Jim White* House Doug Barthel* District 23 + Unopposed non incumbent Senate Rachell Wilson House John Lake* District 11 Senate Justin Cronin* * Friendly Legislators House Sheryl Johnson District 24 ** Friendly Legislators without opponent House Margaret Kuipers House Mary Duvall* thus automatically elected. District 12 House Tim Rounds* All non-incumbents who submitted Senate Blake Curd* questions were interviewed by local SD- District 25 EPIC Interview teams and completed the House Jeff Haywad House Dan Ahlers* House Scott Peterson SDEA Questionnaire. — continued from cover page opportunities, expand access to healthcare, and fight corruption. government. By cleaning up state government, we can ensure I want to see every child have the opportunity to get a world- every tax dollar is being spent wisely, which will provide more funds class education right here in South Dakota. I want more students to help students and educators succeed. pursuing bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and technical Economic and workforce development are essential priorities of diplomas. By advocating for students to pursue all kinds of mine, as well. I operate under the belief that education is workforce education, we are creating a stronger workforce and economy for development and the most important factor to creating sustainable the future of South Dakota. economic growth within our state. I’ll work to include education Students and their families are not able to wholeheartedly pursue initiatives in plans aimed to boost our economy. these opportunities if they are drowning in healthcare costs or What are your priorities for public education, pre-K through paying over half their income in housing costs. By increasing access post-secondary, in South Dakota? How will you achieve these to healthcare and affordable housing, students and families can goals? focus on their education and future, rather than stressing about their bills. I have several priorities for public education: To ensure South Dakota can invest more resources in education, • We must work to get teacher pay competitive in our region if we must root out and quell corruption and complacency in state we hope to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers. 2 SOUTH DAKOTA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | VOTER’S GUIDE H NOVEMBER ELECTION | 2018 H Would you sign legislation that targets state funds to increase wages and benefits for all education support professionals? Why or why not? Yes. Support professionals are an integral part to the success of not only our students, but our certified teaching staff as well. As governor, what initiatives would you create or support to ensure all students have a safe and healthy learning environment? One issue that has recently surfaced is lunch shaming. I disagree with this practice and believe that we need a policy that does not allow this to occur. I think it opens up a broader discussion about the importance of children being ready and able to learn to the best of their abilities. Students need a number of things to I have supported increased teacher pay by serving on the be prepared for school including adequate rest, family support, a Blue Ribbon Task-Force and subsequently voting for the safe home environment, and adequate nutrition. No child should recommended legislation in 2016. go hungry or be targeted because their family doesn’t have the • Lower tuition costs for higher education resources. I believe in the responsibility of parents to provide for • Prioritize more funding for scholarship opportunities their children, but lunch shaming punishes the student, not the parent, and this should never happen in our schools. • Strengthen career and technical education in HS We also must ensure that students and parents feel that their kids • Offer tuition reimbursement for teachers looking to teach in are safe in our public schools. I will support upgrades to security rural communities systems, rigorous emergency action plans, and school resource • I have and will continue to support early childhood education officers for our schools. I do not support arming our teachers, as they did not go into teaching to be police officers. We continue to • I also opposed bills that sought to divide our teachers and ask our teachers to be more than just teachers and often expect create a hierarchy of subjects, including HB 1234 back in them to be parents as well. I also opposed the school sentinel bill in 2012. a past legislative session because of this belief. We all want our kids I will achieve these goals by reaching across the aisle to find safe, so we must approach this in a pragmatic and common sense common sense solutions to South Dakota’s problems just as I have way. done the last 8 years in the Senate. I am a consensus builder and Finally, I think we need to place more of a focus on mental health pride myself on my ability to find common ground with my friends services in our schools. Too often, guidance counselors are tasked on the other side of the aisle. We must start treating education as with everything from college readiness, to testing, to overseeing an investment, not just numbers on a piece of paper. dual credit opportunities, to carving out time to implement How do you envision supporting teacher quality in South prevention programs that involve multiple grade levels. We have Dakota? to make sure our schools have the resources to provide mental Teacher quality is of the utmost importance for the success of health services to students who need them.