“Who are the people in your neighborhood?”

I met a nuclear engineer/physicist in the District 13 neighborhood and learned a great deal about the role of Physics in medicine, in technology, and in our future.  Antimatter and Pet Scans…I’ve heard of both.  I didn’t realize that one led to the other--a discovery in theoretical physics leads to life saving medical procedure. What else lies out there?  With South Dakota’s renewed emphasis on research, we are about to find out…if we prepare.

He commented that there will always be a few “bright sparks,” the Einsteins, who make great discoveries and give us the “flashes of insight,” but he cautioned that we need an “army of competent engineers and scientists who understand and can translate these into practical applications”  …sometimes many decades later.  To be ready for that future challenge, he noted that our students need a strong background in Math and Science from the earliest grades on. He also believed that the math and science community can be an important resource for our math and science teachers.

Do you know a South Dakota high school student?

If so, encourage them to go to SDMyLife.com and register in the My Future, My Prize contest.  The grand prize is an HP Elitebook 2740p Tablet PC, backpack and HP office Jet Printer 4680 plus a large variety of runner up prizes.  Contest ends November 15.  South Dakota’s Department of Education is sponsoring this free contest to encourage students and parents to log on to this valuable website—“all to help you plan YOUR future.”  SDMyLife.com offers “a ton of career exploration resources.  Build your own portfolio, and start planning for your life after high school today.”  (SDMyLife, SDDOE)  Thanks to HP and Riverside Technologies, Inc. for their donations.

“Quit blaming each other,”

was the impassioned plea from Keith Moore, Director of the Bureau of Indian Education, at the 7th annual Indian Education Summit. He asked the hundreds in attendance to “heal from that history; it doesn’t get us anywhere.” Keith, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, initiated the Indian Summit when he served as South Dakota’s Director of Indian Education. He began serving as the Director of BIE in June following his appointment by President Obama.

I had the great pleasure of working with Keith during my years in the legislature. His singular focus was always on the kids and their educational success. He was willing to challenge both Natives and non-Natives if it improved opportunities for kids.  South Dakota and the nation are truly fortunate to have him in this position.  He commented that his work will be guided on the 3 principles of: “learning, quality leadership and service to our people,” and as one of his elders advised, “wrapped in spirituality with prayer and thought.”  

Favorite Tailgate Recipes from Phyllis and Friends

Thank you, parents, supporters, and friends of Sioux Falls school students. You are an important ingredient in the recipe for the outstanding educational opportunities in Sioux Falls.

Download Favorite Tailgate Recipes

Hot off the Press…

Check out my 8^th edition of Just Give Me the Facts, my campaign newspaper filled with information that affects us all.  Where does the money come from in our budget and where do we spend it? Why do Sioux Falls and South Dakota consistently rank at the top for entrepreneurs and business development? Where do our property taxes go? What’s a neutrino....and why do we care? Where are the jobs? How is South Dakota reacting to federally imposed ObamaCare? What are the 30 million reasons to keep the Trust Funds solvent?  What’s the status of the education lawsuit against the State? …..and lots more!!

Download Just The Facts

Thanks to the Teen Age Republicans (TARS) who came to Sioux Falls this weekend...

...and help distribute our message to our voters in some of our precincts.  Your energy and commitment inspires and energizes all of us.  We are truly grateful to you, your advisers and sponsors and especially your parents. I hesitate to start mentioning names as there are many that make this possible.  But I want to congratulate and thank Dusty Johnson for leading this great group and for being recognized as the “best” TAR state adviser in the country. His energy is contagious and they have all caught it!!!  Also, Samantha Walder, an advisory board member, who served as my intern during a legislative session a few years ago.  She was great then and I’m sure continues today as a great teacher. Thanks to all!  Dave and Bonnie, the food was wonderful again. You all should be proud of these committed and informed young citizens.  I walked with two “future legislators” from Kimball.  They assured me they had been doing this for “years” and looked forward to the time when they were actually old enough to vote.  I need to have them with me when I visit with people twice their age who “just don’t care to vote.”  We all feel younger, grateful, and hopeful after spending a day with TARS.

I met a “special” special ed teacher tonight from Hawthorne Elementary.

I congratulated her for Hawthorne achieving AYP (adequate yearly progress) in all 14 student subgroups (i.e., All students, White, Hispanic, Native American, Sp Ed, Ec Dis, LEP) in both Math and Reading in 2010.  She was understandably proud of Hawthorne’s students, teachers, and administrators and noted that there is great collaboration between the special ed and classroom teachers.  In Math 67% of the students were advanced or proficient in 2010 compared to 59% in 2009;in Reading, 66% were advanced or proficient in 2010 compared to 62% in 2009.  Congratulations Hawthorne!!  With some schools having only 4 or 6 subgroups, achieving AYP in 14 is truly an accomplishment.

Students have changed education…

...was an observation by an innovative educator with whom I had a very interesting conversation.  She noted that technology is their world and you can’t have them come into the classroom for 6-8 hours a day and “turn them off” from technology. If you do, you will literally “turn them off.” She believes that integrating technology into every classroom for every type and age of student is offering more and more opportunities for success.

 In the 2009 publication Technology Counts, South Dakota ranked at the top in their “use of technology.”  Interestingly, in their 2010 publication, State comparisons were eliminated and instead they are “spotlighting school-and district-level data...on the growth of online curricula, opportunities for online course taking, the use of multimedia digital content, online assessment, and school policies on cell phones, iPods, wikis and blogs, and various forms of social media….” (http://www.edweek.org/media/edtechstats.pdf)  With all of these possibilities, I agree with her conclusion that we must “keep educating our teachers.”

South Dakota, be really proud of your investment in the Sanford Lab at Homestake!

After attending Neutrino Days at the Sanford Lab on July 10, I am even more excited about the possibilities of the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab (if you haven’t watched the Sanford Lab video mentioned on my blog, do it NOW). The National Science Foundation has determined that the 4 pillars of the Physics program at the Sanford Lab are: 1) Neutrinos; 2) Proton decay; 3) Double Beta Decay; 4) Dark Matter. 

Neutrino Day featured physicists speaking on these topics.  Also, it was encouraging to see so many kids there doing “hands-on science activities” with the scientists. My conclusion is that I Needed To Take More Physics.  High school students - do not avoid Physics!  It not only explains the world around us; but South Dakota will potentially be the center of future Physics research.  We all need to be a part of this!

Neutrino Day 2010 — “a science adventure”

If you are in the Lead area on Saturday, July 10, don’t miss this free science festival. Fascinating adult and kids’ activities will be held at the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Lab at Homestake.  For the schedule and detailed information go to: sanfordlabathomestake.org.  This is a great opportunity for all of us to learn more about South Dakota’s potential Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab…and actually learn what a neutrino is.