Legislation to provide additional state funding to the Teach for America program failed for a second time in the State Senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 127 was shot down in the Senate a week ago, but was called for reconsideration. Supporters of the measure say the state should invest in the education of Native Americans because there's an achievement gap between students on reservations and elsewhere in the state. But opponents argue the state shouldn't be putting more public funds into a private program. Phyllis Heineman is the prime sponsor of the legislation.
“The Teach for America organization, the piece that they have in South Dakota, is really a very small part of it. And really, the only reason they could come to South Dakota in 2004 was because up until the last couple years, that’s where the funding came. It started with a very few teachers, it has grown again this last year, really because of the state investment. We’ve been able to move from just 20 some or 25 first year, this year we had 41. Next year we’re hoping to have in the 60s. That’s why we continue to come back to you. Not because we say we just need one time funding and then we’re good to go, we know this is an ongoing challenge,” Heineman says.
Opponents say the state needs to prioritize its allotment of one time funds, and Teach for America won't go away if South Dakota doesn't put more money into it. Senate Bill 127 failed to get the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass.