A fresh start: Dozens of new teachers join South Dakota schools

New to the profession, they help ease shortage in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

By Art Hovey

A lot of people seemed to be sitting on the edge of their seats at Jefferson High School.

It’s easy enough to understand, since school starts Thursday for some 60 new teachers and for their share of some 24,000 elementary, middle and high school students at 38 locations in the Sioux Falls School District.

Ana Rodriguez-Garcia, Briana DeWitte, Shannon Wiley and Emily Gheorghiu are among those headed into the classroom for the first time as teachers. They were also among those on hand at Jefferson to pick up $250 grants from the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation to buy classroom supplies.

“I’m an ambition junky,” said Gheorghiu as she took a break from organizational meetings Monday. “Helping other students with their ambitions keeps me going.”