Introduction

My name is Arla Runyon.  My husband Johnny and I live at 309 S. Montana St. in Mitchell, SD.  I have two children, Erin (23) who lives and works in Minneapolis, MN, and Dan (19) who attends Southeast Technical University in Sioux Falls, SD.

     I grew up and attended school in Wahpeton, ND.  My dad was an educator and both of my parents instilled a value of education in their children.  Ever since I can remember teaching was what I wanted to do.  Upon completion of high school in 1977 I attended North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton where I received an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts.  Not sure of where to attend college or what area of education I wanted to pursue I took a year off and became a paraeducator in a special education classroom for the Wahpeton School District. It was from that experience that I made the decision to pursue a special education degree.  I graduated from Moorhead State University in Moorhead, MN in 1983 with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Special Education. 

     My first teaching experience was in Huron, SD as a half-time special education teacher and half-time instructor of gifted education.  Talk about two opposite ends of the spectrum!  I now enjoyed them both but my heart was in special education.  In 1987 we moved to Mitchell where I teach kindergarten through fifth grade special education at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School.  A lot has changed in education over the years such as inclusion and No Child Left Behind but I have never regretted my decision to teach.  Watching the students grow both educationally and personally have reaped benefits too many to count.