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Biographical Information

Before Sherri Becker was the District Director of Instruction, she maintained a student-centered, project-based atmosphere in her English classroom at Mitchell Middle School.  Using context-based instruction where technology was naturally integrated, Mrs. Becker helped students achieve the school's top scores on the state summative assessment.

Prior to teaching in Mitchell, Mrs. Becker taught Spanish in Omaha, NE, and English language arts in inner-city San Antonio, Tx. In Texas she developed team-building workshops for her team of students who were mainly members of conflicting gangs. She witnessed first-hand that children are children first and respond with respect for others when they are treated with respect.  She took these ideas and activities all the way to the Texas State Middle School Conference.

The Beckers moved to Mitchell, SD,  in 2000 where she developed professional development units for the statewide Learning Organizations for Technology Integration (LOFTI) project, designed to help educators develop the knowledge and skills to teach in a changing technological world.

Mrs. Becker has taught both English and Spanish at Mitchell Middle School, was the Technology Integrationist helping grades 7 - 12 transition to a 1:1 learning environment, and now is the District Director of Instruction.

At this time, Mrs. Becker not only leads teams of teachers, administrators, and school board members in reviewing and adopting district curriculum, she also leads a district-wide data dig each fall to determine district, school, and classroom goals. Her professional development committee, then, uses those goals to determine appropriate and effective continuing education opportunities for district professional development and in-service days.

In 2019-2021, Mrs. Becker is the president of the South Dakota Association for School Curriculum Directors as well as the 2020-21 president of the School Administrators of South Dakota.