The goal of the statewide Teacher of the Year program is to recognize and honor the tremendous contributions of outstanding classroom teachers. The South Dakota Department of Education defines a classroom teacher as being a person who has a class of his/her own and spends at least three or more hours per day, five days a week, for six or more calendar months during a school year in a classroom teaching students.

The South Dakota Department of Education has determined school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers are NOT eligible. Any teacher retiring at the end of the current school term is not eligible.