NM teachers applaud cell phone ban as SD Earth haters fight over one

After consultations with stakeholders the New Mexico Public Education Department hopes to provide instruction that is relevant to English language learners and Indigenous students alike by adding ethnic, cultural and identity curricula to the state's social studies standards by emphasizing tribal sovereignty, social justice and sustainable futures. 

So, in New Mexico the Anti-Distraction Policy in the Schools passed in the 2025 legislature and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed it last spring. The new rules require that students place their cell phones in a mini-locker at the beginning of the day but are allowed to retrieve their devices during their lunch breaks, but once the break is over phones go back into the mini-locker. Teachers say the law is working and even some students are grateful and feel they're more in tune with their lessons.

Since in South Dakota local control is Republican control the four Earth haters running for governor could even come to blows over a statewide cell phone ban in schools. New Mexico offers universal free breakfasts and lunches regardless of income but in stingy South Dakota only the Democratic gubernatorial candidate backs such a program.

Most school districts in South Dakota already have a policy in place that doesn’t allow cellphones in classrooms. About one-third of school districts take the further step of removing or locking away cellphones during class or school hours, based on a South Dakota Searchlight survey of superintendents and analysis of published school policies. Rob Monson, executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota, said school administrators prefer to handle the issue themselves. [Three of five SD governor hopefuls endorse statewide approach to cellphones in classrooms]

And, in South Dakota white evangelicals steal money slated for American Indian education and murder their families when the jig is up then place a complicit attorney general at the head of the investigation. Recall Republican former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds won election to the US Senate for advocating the dissolution of the US Department of Education so he sponsored a bill that would eradicate the DoE and curtail federal funding for kids. 

The horrible red state struggles to retain educators as Earth haters hope to end the property tax that funds education. 

As the new school year begins across West River districts, South Dakota faces a troubling trend: chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled since 2019, and Rapid City Area Schools report a 2.16% drop in enrollment for 2025–26. While state law mandates school attendance—with penalties including up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for noncompliance—the focus is on helping families through its Juvenile Diversion and Truancy Intervention Program. Officials say absenteeism often stems from poverty, housing instability, and transportation barriers. [KOTA radio]

Learn more about how New Mexico's schools are expanding training for more scratch cooking linked here.