School of Education Places 112 Teacher Candidates in Local and Regional Classrooms
Teacher candidates from USD’s School of Education have received a near-record number of placements in partner schools for the 2024-2025 school year. One hundred twelve candidates are currently placed in classrooms across the region, with specialties ranging from biology and chemistry to special education, early childhood development, music, history and beyond.
USD’s teacher education curriculum features a unique yearlong residency program for its candidates.
In residency, candidates can experience the full school year alongside mentor teachers. From the start of the year, they grow and develop alongside their students.
“These experiences prepare our candidates for the first year of teaching like no other,” said Dean of the School of Education Amy Schweinle, Ph.D. “They walk into their first day ready to go.”
Teacher shortages continue to be an issue across the nation, particularly in rural communities across the Midwest. USD partners with over 50 schools to allow education students to complete their residency anywhere in the region.
Thirty-four school districts spread across five states are currently hosting USD teacher candidates. With placements in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado, USD has candidates working as close as half a mile away from campus and as far as 800 miles across the Midwest. An additional cohort of nine students, working on their master's in special education, are placed in the Brookings School District in Brookings, South Dakota.
Alongside general workforce shortages and the challenges of rural communities, educators see an increasing need for staff who can work across cultural or demographic barriers, such as teachers specializing in Spanish language environments.
Ana Rodriguez Garcia, one of USD’s current class of residents, is placed in the Sonia Sotomayor Spanish Immersion Elementary School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This program, which serves over 600 students, brings Spanish-fluent mentors and bilingual educators to teach Spanish-first classes at the elementary level.
“My experience has been incredible so far,” said Garcia. “USD has helped me tremendously with my goals to become a teacher. For me, it all started with the Teacher Pathway program that USD started with the Sioux Falls school district. USD has also given me the opportunity to use my Spanish in a school setting. I never thought I would be able to teach in Spanish but at Sonia, I have been learning that I can do it.”
Another candidate, Brianna DeWitte, is a Spanish Education major. She is currently placed in Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she teaches Spanish I and III. She plans to complete her residency at Sonia Sotomayor in the spring.
“USD's education program has given me the amazing opportunity of yearlong residency, making it possible for me to complete two semester-long placements at different schools,” said DeWitte. “Last year, I had the opportunity to spend the entire academic year studying in Seville, Spain. Now, being in the schools for a whole academic year has given me the chance to gain so much experience with the students and teaching in Spanish.”
Of the 112 current candidates, 43 will graduate in December 2024, with the remaining 69 due in May 2025.
Teacher candidates at USD gain a rich foundation in theory and evidence-based practice. Through their classroom placements, they garner opportunities to apply that knowledge in real-world settings and begin fostering meaningful connections with students, educators, and communities across Coyote country.
“I am excited to see so many teacher candidates enter residency placements across the region,” said Schweinle. “In trusted partnerships with school districts, we are addressing the teacher shortage head-on to provide highly trained, prepared teachers for our youth.”
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