A Plan to Fix South Dakota’s Education: Restoring Liberty, Critical Thinking, and Excellence
South Dakota’s education system has the potential to lead the nation, but recent trends—like the national IQ drop since 2010 (Northwestern Now, 2023)—signal a crisis. Our students deserve better than a system that prioritizes federal mandates and standardized tests over true learning. As a liberty-minded advocate, I propose a state-based plan to transform South Dakota’s K-12 education, focusing on constitutional studies, financial literacy, critical thinking, engineering, math, sciences (STEM), and future-ready skills like robotics and coding. This plan explicitly rejects Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, aiming to produce Einstein-level thinkers—not little socialists—without federal government interference. Here’s how we’ll do it.
1. Constitutional Studies: Grounding Education in Liberty
South Dakota students must understand the principles that define our nation—liberty, limited government, and individual rights. A mandatory constitutional studies curriculum will be implemented across all grade levels, starting in elementary school with age-appropriate lessons on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and progressing to high school with in-depth analysis of the Federalist Papers, the Bill of Rights, and landmark Supreme Court cases like Marbury v. Madison (1803). This isn’t just history—it’s a framework for critical thinking, teaching students to question government overreach and defend their freedoms. By embedding liberty in education, we ensure students grow into citizens who think independently, not conform to statist ideologies.
2. Financial Literacy: Empowering Economic Independence
Financial literacy is a cornerstone of liberty—knowing how to manage money gives individuals control over their futures. South Dakota will mandate a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum starting in middle school, covering budgeting, saving, investing, credit, and taxes. High school students will learn advanced concepts like compound interest, stock market basics, and retirement planning, using real-world simulations to apply these skills. For example, students might manage a mock investment portfolio or calculate the impact of a 6.2% payroll tax (like Social Security) on their earnings. This equips them to navigate economic realities without relying on government handouts, fostering self-reliance over dependency.
3. Critical Thinking Processes: Reviving the Classics
The national IQ drop since 2010—particularly in verbal, matrix, and numerical reasoning (Northwestern Now, 2023)—shows we’ve lost the art of critical thinking. South Dakota will revive the classical processes that produced thinkers like Einstein: Socratic questioning, logic, and problem-solving. Starting in elementary school, students will engage in weekly Socratic seminars, debating topics like “Should the government control education?” to develop reasoning skills. Middle schoolers will take a logic course, learning to identify fallacies (e.g., ad hominem, straw man) and construct arguments. High schoolers will tackle case studies—analyzing historical events like the Boston Tea Party through primary sources to draw their own conclusions. This isn’t about memorizing answers; it’s about teaching students to think, question, and innovate.
4. STEM Focus: Engineering, Math, and Sciences for the Future
South Dakota will double down on STEM—engineering, math, and sciences—to prepare students for a competitive global economy. We’ll implement a rigorous STEM curriculum starting in kindergarten, with hands-on projects like building simple circuits (elementary), designing bridges (middle school), and creating sustainable energy models (high school). Math education will shift from rote memorization to problem-solving, using real-world applications—think calculating the trajectory of a rocket or the load-bearing capacity of a structure. Sciences will emphasize experimentation over textbook learning, with every student conducting a yearly research project, such as testing soil pH in local farms. This mirrors the inquiry-based learning of top PISA performers like Singapore (575 in math, 2022), ensuring our students can compete without federal interference.
5. Robotics, Coding, and Future-Ready Skills
The future belongs to robotics, coding, and technology—South Dakota will lead the way. Starting in elementary school, students will learn basic coding through platforms like Scratch, progressing to Python and Java by high school. Robotics will be integrated into STEM, with every middle schooler building a simple robot (e.g., a line-following bot) and high schoolers competing in state-wide robotics challenges, designing autonomous systems for agriculture or disaster response. These skills aren’t just about jobs—they teach logical thinking, creativity, and resilience, producing Einstein-level innovators. South Dakota will partner with local tech companies like Daktronics to provide mentorship and internships, ensuring students are ready for the future without federal handouts.
6. No CRT or DEI: Focus on Excellence, Not Ideology
South Dakota’s plan explicitly rejects Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These ideologies prioritize identity over merit, dividing students rather than uniting them in pursuit of excellence. CRT, which frames history through a racial oppressor-oppressed lens, stifles critical thinking by imposing a predetermined narrative—students should analyze history themselves, not be spoon-fed conclusions. DEI’s focus on equity (equal outcomes) over equality (equal opportunity) undermines individual achievement, violating the liberty to rise or fall on your own merits. Instead, we’ll focus on what produces brilliance: rigorous academics, merit-based competition, and a culture that rewards hard work, not handouts.
7. State-Based, Liberty-First Implementation
This plan will be entirely state-driven, rejecting federal funding and mandates to preserve South Dakota’s sovereignty. The Department of Education will oversee curriculum development, partnering with local school boards to ensure community input—liberty means local control, not federal overreach. Funding will come from reallocating existing state resources, such as the $1.5 billion in sales tax revenue (2023, Department of Revenue), avoiding new taxes. Teachers will be trained in inquiry-based methods, with a focus on fostering critical thinking over test prep, and schools will be incentivized to reduce standardized testing to federal minimums, freeing up time for real learning.
Conclusion: Building Einstein-Level Thinkers
South Dakota can lead the nation by rejecting the failed, government-driven education model that’s led to a national IQ drop since 2010. By focusing on constitutional studies, financial literacy, critical thinking, STEM, and future-ready skills like robotics and coding—while explicitly rejecting CRT and DEI—we’ll produce Einstein-level thinkers, not little socialists. This state-based plan, free from federal interference, empowers students to think independently, innovate fearlessly, and secure their own futures. Let’s take back education for liberty and excellence—South Dakota’s future depends on it. Share if you’re ready to build a brighter tomorrow! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TrumpTough #MAGA2026 #EducationFreedom #FreedomFirst #CriticalThinkingMatters #NoCRTNoDEI
Why This Plan Works
- Liberty-First: Rejects federal funding and mandates, emphasizing state and local control—aligns with South Dakota’s Tenth Amendment rights.
- Critical Thinking: Revives Socratic methods, logic, and inquiry-based learning—addresses the IQ drop by fostering independent thought.
- STEM and Future Skills: Prioritizes engineering, math, sciences, robotics, and coding—prepares students for innovation without federal overreach.
- No CRT/DEI: Focuses on merit and excellence, rejecting divisive ideologies—produces thinkers, not ideologues.
- Practical Funding: Uses existing state revenue—no new taxes, no federal strings.