The Sioux Falls School District 49-5 board unanimously approved a motion on Nov. 10 permitting staff to apply for an administrative-rule waiver that would allow reciprocity for an international educator’s teaching license.

Becky Dormant explained the request: South Dakota Department of Education administrative rules require a teaching license issued in the educator’s home country and, separately, at least three years of teaching experience for reciprocity. Dormant said the candidate in question lacks a home-country license (many countries do not have licensing agencies) and has two years of teaching experience plus one year as an AMITY intern. Because of those circumstances, staff requested permission to pursue the waiver process.

"The administrative rule requires that a teacher have a teaching license in their home country," Dormant said, and she asked the board to acknowledge the public hearing and permit staff to move forward with the application.

A board member moved and a second carried the motion; members voted 'Aye' and the motion passed. The board later approved a motion to recess until 6:15 p.m. and, upon reconvening, to enter executive session under South Dakota Codified Law 1-25-2(2). The meeting recessed to allow that closed-session process to proceed.

The board’s vote authorized staff to begin the waiver application; the transcript does not record the board’s final decision on the waiver itself (the application process and any subsequent decision by the department remain pending).