SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota School Superintendents Association is calling on the State Board of Education Standards to reject the proposed social studies standards.

Tuesday the association released a statement in opposition to the standards ahead of the final public hearing set for April 17 in Pierre.

“Our state motto is, ‘Under God, the People Rule,'” the statement reads. “We respectfully request you listen to the people of South Dakota and oppose these standards.”

The SDSSA is requesting the Board submit the July 2021 standards for review. Those standards were created by a 44-person workgroup comprised of tribal representatives and educators from across the state. A draft later released by the Department of Education removed several mentions of Oceti Sakowin standards and Indigenous history from the initial draft prompting backlash that led to a rewrite of the current proposed standards.

Like other groups and educators, the SDSSA is opposing the standards due to issues with memorization, an overwhelming number of details “many undergraduate college courses do not require” and being developmentally inappropriate.

Last week the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition and the tribal education directors of all nine tribes voiced their opposition to the standards.

“The School Superintendents stand with all nine tribes in South Dakota and the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association that have passed formal resolutions opposing the 2022 social studies standards,” the statement said.

The statement is signed by superintendents from Dell Rapids, Milbank, Madison, Elkton, Tea, Irene-Wakonda, Parkston, Onida-Sully Buttes, Redfield, Arlington, Oldham-Ramona, Aberdeen, Custer and Parker.