State opens 40 new slots in teaching program

Another 40 paraprofessionals could be accepted into South Dakota’s teacher apprenticeship program, which is meant to reduce the teaching shortage across the state.

The program, started in 2023, allows full-time paraprofessionals — sometimes called teacher’s aides — to pursue a teaching degree online through Dakota State University in elementary or special education, or through Northern State University in secondary education, at a steep discount while retaining their position.

Gov. Larry Rhoden said in a news release that the program is a “strong partnership” between the state and its universities to address a statewide issue.

“When paraprofessionals can earn a degree right in their home community, it strengthens our workforce and helps our rural communities thrive,” Rhoden said.

Applications will be accepted through April 15, according to the state Department of Education. The program will start in July.

As of December, 72 paraprofessionals had graduated from the program, and 240 had participated. Of the graduates, 59 signed teaching contracts — all at South Dakota public and private schools. Five graduates earned degrees in secondary education, 17 in special education, 17 in elementary and special education, and 33 in elementary education.

Stacie Becker graduated from the program’s first cohort.

“This experience showed me that I have the skills, perseverance and passion to become an effective educator,” Becker said in a news release, “and that with commitment, I can achieve my goals.”

Statewide, 144 teaching positions were unfilled as of July last year, weeks before the school year started, according to the Associated School Boards of South Dakota. That’s the lowest number in recent years: There were 202 unfilled positions in July 2024, 256 in 2023, 225 in 2022 and 174 in 2021.

The Department of Education started the program, but it is currently funded through the state Department of Labor and Regulation with a combination of state and federal grants to reimburse universities for the discounted portion of tuition and other programming.

School districts pay $1,000 a year per apprentice. Apprentices are responsible for up to $1,000 a year in tuition, books and state assessments.

According to the most recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, South Dakota faces statewide teacher shortages at crisis levels in five of 17 possible areas — career and technical education, elementary education, language arts, special education and science.

Jobs like special education have long been hard to fill. But statewide shortages in subjects like science, language arts and elementary education are a post-COVID-19 phenomenon.