VIEWPOINT | The NEA’s stranglehold on the GOP in South Dakota

Column by Jason Pieper

Recent actions of the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA), the state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), indicate a significant financial influence on the GOP in South Dakota. As a public education and transparency advocate, I recently observed the legislative debate surrounding Senate Bill 161, a bill that proposed limiting administrator pay to 300 percent of average teacher salaries. The bill failed 13 to 22. Discussion highlighted the stark pay disparity between administrators (ranked 16th nationally) and teachers (ranked 49th nationally) in South Dakota.

Rather than addressing this disparity or proposing amendments, most lawmakers resorted to the familiar “local control” argument – an overused excuse that often deflects legislative responsibility for $1 billion in annual public education spending (44 percent of the state’s budget). Notably, Sen. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, defended the highest earners, stating: “I think our teacher salaries are getting better.”

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