POINT: Here's why I voted for South Dakota's new social studies standards

Guest column by Steve Perkins, Board of Education Standards member

Last February I was asked by Gov. Kristi Noem to accept an appointment to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards (BOES), a seven member citizen board that approves K-12 standards – statements or goals – for teaching South Dakota’s children at various grade levels. Standards are not curriculum, text books, lesson plans or worksheets.  

The Social Studies Standards before the Board are a very important subject.  Our Founding Fathers and our State’s Constitution note that a democracy where the people rule requires well educated citizens.

I am concerned that many, particularly our youth, do not seem to know even the basics of our history and government. In subjects that we routinely test (reading, writing, math, science), only 50 percent of our kids achieve a passing grade for minimum grade level skills.