Category: Uncategorized

The Value of the National Career Readiness Certificate
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

When a business needs to hire a new employee, there’s a lot to consider. An applicant’s previous jobs, education and the recommendations of others are all part of the equation. These things are important; but when it comes down to it, managers are really just looking for someone who will succeed on the job.

This is where the National Career Readiness Certificate comes in.

This certificate, known as the NCRC, has been used by employers across the nation for nearly 20 years. It consists of three assessments developed by ACT, the college entrance exam company. The assessments measure an individual’s ability in applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information.

The applied mathematics section measures math reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving techniques for work-related problems. Reading for information tests how well an applicant can read and comprehend different types of work-related materials, from memos and bulletins to policy manuals and government regulations. A third test measures how well an applicant can locate information when drawing from materials such as diagrams, floor plans, tables, forms and graphs.

Regardless of occupation, the assessments can provide reliable, relevant information about an individual’s abilities.

ACT has profiled more than 20,000 individual jobs across the country to determine the level needed for success at any particular job. An NCRC can be earned at four levels.  The Platinum level indicates an individual has the skill level needed for 99 percent of the jobs in the database. If one earns the Gold level, it means one has the skills for 90 percent; Silver, skills for 65 percent; and Bronze, skills for 35 percent.

The Department of Labor and Regulation offers NCRC assessments to any job seeker. Since testing began six years ago, nearly 12,000 South Dakotans have earned an NCRC and, compared to the national average, our job seekers consistently have attained higher levels.

I’m happy to say that I’ve taken the three tests myself. I completed the core assessments a few weeks ago to become more familiar with the certificate, and I’ve challenged my cabinet and staff to do the same.

After taking the test myself, I’d encourage businesses to become more familiar with the NCRC. Even if applicants are lacking in academic certificates or diplomas, they may still have the right work skills. The NCRC can indicate when that is the case. The NCRC benefits job seekers and employers, and it’s a valuable tool for a state that is experiencing workforce shortages.

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I’m hearing rumors this morning that District 5 will have 2 new House candidates this coming election year. A source tells me that Byron Callies (former State Rep Melissa Magstadt’s father) and Hugh Bartles will both be throwing their hats in the ring.

With Roger Solum ineligible for another term, that leaves current State Rep Lee Schoenbeck facing a primary, unless Reid Holien plans to step down early (which I’ve heard nothing about), opening up that seat.

Keep those candidate rumors coming! You can e-mail me here.

Did radical Islamic terrorists shock the world to action last night?

Eight ISIS terrorists wielding AK-47s and wearing suicide belts carried out coordinated attacks at six sites around Paris Friday night, killing at least 127 people and wounding at least 180 others, France’s president said Saturday.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and a Syrian passport was found on the body of suicide bomber at the Paris stadium. French authorities are investigating the attacks and urging any witnesses to come forward. 

Speaking after an emergency security meeting to plan his government’s response, Francois Hollande declared three days of national mourning and raised France’s security to its highest level. He described Friday’s attacks, which produced the worst bloodshed in Paris since World War II, as an “act of war.” Hollande said ISIS was “a terrorist army … a jihadist army, against France, against the values that we defend everywhere in the world, against what we are: A free country that means something to the whole planet.”

Read it here.

What are your thoughts? Does this change the game, and has if forced the world to deal with the threat of radical Islamic terrorists more seriously and aggressively?

I was reading the latest article on the GEAR UP grant kerfuffle, and something struck me as odd, and a question that no one seems to be asking as they try to blame state government and gin up controversy.  No one seems to be talking much to Dan Guericke, the Superintendent of the District/COOP.  Wasn’t he the guy in charge?

If people were double dipping and acting as their own subcontractors under the grant, would he have not been the person in charge of making sure that didn’t happen?

If the state went to the Mid Central Educational Cooperative and said “good lord, your records on this grant are such a mess, we have to step in and fix it,” why are we not hearing about what action he and the board of the organization took to remedy the problem once it was identified early on, and what the remedies they tried?   Why did they let it get so bad?

What we ARE hearing about, is how the coop immediately canceled the phone for the employee who committed suicide, and allegedly murdered his family, and how if they find something in their safe deposit box, they’ll pass it on to the AG.

Silly question, but that seems to be the place where many of these questions should start.

There’s a report out there that one of the GOP women in Spearfish posted on facebook that current Deadwood Mayor (Elected in 2013), and former State Representative Chuck Turbiville who was previously termed out of the House, is going to be making a return run for the legislature in 2016:

Yesterday at the Republican Women’s monthly luncheon, Chuck Turbiville spoke and announced he will run for Dist. 31 House of Representative seat that will be open due to Fred Romkema’s term limit.

Turbiville is likely to be a tough competitor with his high name identification.

Also, Mike Clark, a contributor to dakotawarcollege.com unofficially announced under the previous post that he is going to be running for the District 9 House Seat as well.

I am honored to even be considered for the position, and to get as far in the process that I did. To be honest I am a political no body.

However with Paula Hawks running for another position that leaves that seat open in 2016.

I will be running for that seat

Any others out there who are running for the state legislature that we don’t know about yet? E-Mail me here.

Gov. Daugaard Appoints Wayne Steinhauer To District 9 House Seat

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced today that he will appoint Wayne H. Steinhauer of Hartford to the vacant seat in the state House representing District 9. Steinhauer will succeed Rep. Steve Hickey, who resigned earlier this year.

“I thank Wayne Steinhauer for taking on this role,” said Gov. Daugaard. “Wayne’s experience in business and in local government will make him a valuable contributor to the legislative process.”

Steinhauer is the outgoing chairman of the Minnehaha County Planning Commission, on which he has served for 14 years. He retired last year as chief operations officer of Amesbury, after a 30 year career in business. He also owns and operates the Best Western Hotel in Murdo.

“I am extremely honored to be appointed to the South Dakota House of Representatives,” said Steinhauer. “I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to represent District 9 and to work in Pierre with other South Dakota leaders for the benefit of all.”

Steinhauer has been active in many community organizations, including Rotary International, Downtown Sioux Falls, Sioux Empire United Way and Sioux Falls Tomorrow. He is also a member of the Murdo Chamber of Commerce.

Steinhauer and his wife of 40 years, Cindy, have two children and nine grandchildren. They are members of St. George Church in Hartford.

The appointment is effective immediately.  Steinhauer will serve the remainder of Rep. Hickey’s term, which expires after the 2016 general election. District 9 includes northwestern Minnehaha County, including the Hartford, Humboldt, Crooks and the Wall Lake area. The district also includes an area in north and northwestern Sioux Falls, encompassing Southeast Technical Institute, Hayward Elementary School and the Sioux Falls Regional Airport.

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If you’ve been watching the link at the left of the page, the Augustana College Republicans just hit $1500 of their $5000 goal to attend CPAC. If you’ve been thinking of it, but haven’t donated yet, Click here to give them some GOP Love, and help send this group to CPAC

November 18-20 the FHA welcomes to Matt Sharp to South Dakota. Sharp, Legal Counsel with the Arizona based ‘Alliance Defending Freedom’. Matt will keynote this year’s four-city SD Religious Liberty Town Hall Tour. He, along with FHA Executive Director Dale Bartscher will speak to this issue in Rapid City (Nov. 18), Aberdeen and Sioux Falls (Nov. 19) and then Mitchell (Nov. 20).

Click here for additional resources on this event.

From KELOland, the Governor’s Task Force on Education recommended that sales tax is likely the best tool to raise funds needed for teacher’s salaries:

The task force recommends keeping the education funding the same at three percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. But it does call for an additional $75 million in revenue to raise teacher pay to an average of nearly $50,000 a year.

Daugaard was able to raise that same amount to pay for roads during last legislative session.

“It’s a two-thirds vote and the margins for road funding was very thin so we’ll see if there’s a will on behalf of the legislature. And I also have to feel as if there’s true reform being accomplished,” Daugaard said.

The task force provided ways for schools to control expenses and be more efficient, while suggesting that a good source of revenue for raising salaries will be through a hike in the state sales tax.

Read that here.  And according to a report in the Argus Leader, retailers are not necessarily opposed:

Shawn Lyons, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, said the group would be receptive to discussing a tax hike. The association represents about 4,000 retailers across the state.

“If we’re going to go down the path of looking at a sales tax increase, the conversation of property tax relief, especially for commercial retailers, is very important to us,” Lyons said.

Though he said retailers that sell more expensive products had reservations about accepting the increase. Lyons said many had expressed concerns about losing a competitive advantage to online merchants that might not be subject to the same taxes.

Read that here.

I’m not sure why they need to offset a tax they collect from others against one they pay themselves right now, but if I were lobbying on the tax, I’d try it too. And they are correct on the internet sales tax.

Quibbling over minutia aside, the most important thing is that if there is going to be a tax increase to fund education, it is important that everyone participate.

Not everyone pays property tax, but all South Dakota residents who consume or purchase goods pay sales tax. It’s what you might term “having some skin in the game.”  And in the case of sales tax, everyone does.

The flip side of it, is that if we add a penny or a half penny, this is still going to be a massive tax increase. And as Tony Venhuizen, the Governor’s Chief of staff quipped in referring to what plan the administration prefers, “my favorite is whatever one the legislators will pass.”  And he’s quite right.

In an election year, legislators are going to have to balance the demands of their constituents for improved salaries in education against people not wanting to pay more in taxes, and blaming legislators for any tax increase passed.   There will certainly be districts on either side of that divide.

It may come down to a district by district vote, with the conservative anti-taxers versus the districts demanding increased teacher salaries.

What do you think? What district are you in, and where do you want your legislators to line up?

  Governor Receives Blue Ribbon Task Force Report

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard met with Sen. Deb Soholt and Rep. Jacqueline Sly today to receive the final report from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Teachers and Students.

“I thank the members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for all of their hard work. They put in a lot of time over the last few months in studying how we can improve education in our state,” said Gov. Daugaard. “I will take this report seriously and carefully review each of the recommendations.”

Sen. Soholt and Rep. Sly served as co-chairs of the task force that was established by the Governor earlier this year. The task force also included teachers and administrators, legislators, parents, businesspeople, and executive branch members.

“We are pleased to submit this report, on behalf of the task force, to the Governor and the Legislature,” said Sen. Soholt. “Now is the time to be bold and to find additional ongoing dollars to assure the success of South Dakota’s greatest asset: our kids.”

“The task force has identified the needs and recommended solutions for K-12 funding,” said Rep. Sly. “Solutions for funding education in South Dakota will be a step of courage amongst the public, the executive branch and the Legislature.”

Gov. Daugaard tasked the group with focusing on three goals: a quality system of schools focused on student achievement, a workforce of great educators, and an efficient and equitable funding system.

Last summer, the Blue Ribbon Task Force gathered public input from over 1,300 citizens in meetings throughout the state. The group then held five meetings in Pierre to consider public input, analyze data and discuss ideas for reform. The final report includes numerous recommendations to meet the task force’s goals, including a significant increase in teacher salaries.

Gov. Daugaard and legislators will consider this report as they prepare for the 2016 Legislative Session.

Blue Ribbon Report – Final