Spearfish’s “makeSPACE” pushes forward with Equity Training opportunity for teachers

SPEARFISH, S.D. - A bicycle co-op in Spearfish will be pushing forward with a planned “Equity Training” event, but without the continuing education units (CEUs) it originally planned to make available to educators.

The move to discontinue the opportunity for CEUs comes after South Dakota Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson said that it did not appear the training opportunity would be in keeping with Governor Kristi Noem’s executive order restricting “critical race theory” in April.

“We need education in our classrooms, not indoctrination,” Sanderson said in response to questions about if the event would qualify for CEUs. “Our focus at the Department of Education is to help students succeed and to guarantee each student equal opportunities. Training like this one do not help achieve that.”

Despite the lack of CEUs now available to educators, a spokesperson for “makeSPACE” said that they still plan to move forward with the event over the summer.

“Through offering this professional development opportunity, we will be creating opportunities for educators to form innovative ways to teach, inspire, empathize and understand basic human needs,” said Petrika Peters, a makeSPACE Board Member. “This opportunity will allow educators the ability to maintain their focus on students as individuals, as diverse beings, while allowing each the safe space to be within their classrooms.”

The new flier provided by “makeSPACE” also specifies that the number of educators able to attend the training opportunity will now be capped at 35.

"makeSPACE," an organization that originated as a bicycle co-op in Spearfish, SD, is no longer... — "makeSPACE," an organization that originated as a bicycle co-op in Spearfish, SD, is no longer offering continuing education units (CEUs) at it's "equity training" event after the South Dakota Department of Education said that the training would not be eligible for the units.(makeSPACE)

The Spearfish School District says that the event is in no way affiliated with them, and that they would not be financially supporting educators who wished to go.

“They can choose whether or not they want to go,” said Spearfish School District Superintendent Kirk Easton. “In no way, shape, or form is the school district associated with this training.”

The training opportunity will take place on July 27th and 28th.