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Our Mission, Vision, & Values

The South Dakota Education Association is a professional organization working hard for educators, so they can continue to work hard for our kids.

Mission

South Dakota Education Association ensures the collective voice for South Dakota public education professionals.

Vision

We envision valued education professionals providing quality public education for all students.

The South Dakota Education Association is a professional organization working hard for educators, so they can continue to work hard for our kids. SDEA members provide a wide range of professional education services in communities throughout the state.

We teach in kindergarten classrooms and college lecture halls. We counsel adolescents and assist in carving out career aspirations. We drive school buses, prepare for careers in education and prepare school lunches. We direct school plays and coach soccer. We provide professional services that benefit students, schools and the public in virtually every position needed to run South Dakota's schools.

Whether you call us your union or your professional organization, we have a long and wonderful tradition that spans over a century. Since our founding, SDEA members have been at the center of every struggle to advance the finest of American dreams - a high quality public education for every child.

What the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA) stands for

Influencing the Decision-Making Process at Local, Regional, State and National Levels

The SDEA works with local leaders to promote increased education funding for a safe and secure learning environment where students are comfortable and eager to learn, and by seeking out the best teachers and education support personnel for South Dakota's schools.

Strengthening the State's Education Workforce

All South Dakota educators benefit from the work of the SDEA, who makes the state's education workforce stronger as a whole.

Empowering Educators Across the State

Through professional development sessions and trainings, the SDEA encourages all educators to continue to develop their craft with hands-on learning.

Buildings, busses, classes and curriculum. Schoolbooks, pencils, homework and grades. Parents and teachers. Budgets. Taxes. It's easy to get lost in the details when we consider everything educators do to provide the best education for South Dakota's children. The SDEA encourages you to pause and remember: It's about our kids.

South Dakota Education Association logo

It's about our kids.

The South Dakota Education Association (SDEA) is a professional organization working hard for educators, so they can continue to work hard for our kids. SDEA members provide a wide range of professional education services in communities throughout the state.