United Voices, Vol. 5 No. 1

Serving the public every step of the way!

UNITED VOICES VOL. 5 NO. 1

WHAT’S INSIDE:

SCHOOL SAFETY A CONCERN YOUR NDU 2018 VOTING GUIDE ndunited.org SBHE RECOMMENDS RAISES

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SEPTEMBER 2018 United Voices is the official publication of North Dakota United, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501.

Contact Us 701.223.0450 comments@ndunited.org Postmaster, send address changes to: North Dakota United 301 N 4th Street Bismarck, ND 58501 Kelly Hagen Director of Communications kelly.hagen@ndunited.org Tom Gerhardt Director of Public Affairs tom.gerhardt@ndunited.org Sarah Keiser Johnson Special Events Coordinator sarah.johnson@ndunited.org

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PRESIDENT’S POST

Whatever your job title, I hope that your summer was restful and restorative.

Goodness knows you will need every ounce of energy you can muster to continue to provide our students and the good people of North Dakota with the vital education, support and services they need to thrive. To be sure, we will face many challenges between now and next fall. But I honestly believe that we will have many opportunities, as well.

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Safety in our schools is a big subject, in breadth and in intensity. Because a majority of every community in North Dakota holds some stake in our schools, as parents, grandparents, family or friends of students, teachers and staff, we all want our institutions of education to be safe places, for kids and adults, alike.

YOUR NDU 2018 VOTING GUIDE

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As public professionals, you play a vital role in shaping and influencing policies affecting your practice and expertise. Every decision made affecting classrooms, public schools and universities, and public service is at some level a political decision.

HOLDING ON TO OUR HISTORY

Inside the Library at North Dakota State University, you can find the office of one of those individuals whom we trust with our historical knowledge: government information librarian and North Dakota United member Susanne Caro.

SBHE RECOMMENDS RAISES

The budget proposal the North Dakota University System planned to officially submit this August to the Office of Management and Budget includes 4 percent pay increases for both years of the upcoming biennium for university system employees.

SHADOW STRUGGLES

It’s 11 p.m. on a weekday, and while many North Dakotans are just going to bed to prepare for another day of hard work, Amanda Filipy is just starting hers.

SKY’S THE LIMIT

Brad Stangeland’s eyes are calmly focused on the sky above Mandan Municipal Airport. Arms crossed, he’s waiting for one of his high school pilots, flying solo, to sweep in from the north, attempting another practice landing and take-off.

SCHOLARSHIP & GRANT WINNERS

The NDU Foundation is proud to present scholarships, special awards and grants to our North Dakota United members, including Student NDU and NDU-Retired members, as well as dependents of all members, for the continued development of their professional skills and knowledge.

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In This Issue

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LET’S GET UNITED

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Share the message and collective voice of North Dakota United

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By Kelly Hagen United Voices Editor

Welcome back to school for another great year, NDU crew!

This issue of United Voices is our special Back to School edition, but it’s also dedicated to membership in North Dakota United, too. And so I wanted to take a moment to tell all of (N.D.)YOU about what it means to be North Dakota United.

The title of our magazine, United Voices, is a kind of mission statement. We hope to combine all of the voices of our 11,500 members statewide into one so loud, so powerful, it cannot go unheard. But we can’t do it without you! So, I have an ask to make of you.

Every issue of United Voices is intended to be structured as a portrait of what and who we are as North Dakota United.

You’ll read stories about our members, see their faces and learn about the jobs they do for all of us, day in and day out. You get perspectives from our leaders: President Nick Archuleta, Vice Presidents Gary Feist and Karen Christensen, and the president of NDU-Retired, Nancy Peterson.

North Dakota United is family. What makes our union truly unique is how many North Dakotans are eligible for membership.

We represent all public employees, including city, county and state workers, K-12 school staff and teachers, university faculty and staff, as well as college students of education and retired public employees, too. You’re probably already a member of North Dakota United, or you wouldn’t be receiving this magazine in the mail. But, additionally, you have friends and family who are eligible to join our union, too!

In this issue, we are giving you our recommendations for the upcoming elections. The process of determining which candidates will receive our endorsement is meticulous and research-based.

We base our decisions on voting records, candidate interviews and surveys. We don’t care at all whether there is an “R,” a “D” or even an “I” behind their name on the ballot. What matters is where they stand on the issues that matter most to our union.

Just look around you, at the people closest to you, and you’ll be surprised by how many of your peers work for the public. Maybe your wife works for Dickinson State University, or your aunt works for Human Services? Perhaps your sister-in-law is a teacher?

Your best friend drives a snow plow for DOT?

Additionally, in this issue, you will notice that two of our stories contain promos to visit our website, www.ndunited.org, to view video news stories to go along with the printed word. This is exciting for us at NDU, that we can provide our members’ stories through multimedia. We can dive deeper inside those stories here in the pages of United Voices, but you get even more details by checking out video on our website or listening to our podcast, The Cutting Ed, which is available to listen to anytime at www. ndunited.org/thecuttinged, or on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts.

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Share your copy of United Voices with those people who are eligible to join your union! If you don’t want to part with your paper copy, check out our website at www.ndunited.org/unitedvoices for the full catalog of electronic versions, which can be easily shared through e-mail or social media. And then send them to our website, www.ndunited.org/join, for more information on how they can get United, too!

North Dakota United is YOU. Every one of our members, every educator, every public employee, every student, every citizen we serve. We are North Dakota. Now let’s get United!

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President’s Post

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND Our superpower is our ability to unite together for positive change

By Nick Archuleta NDU President

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You see, our superpower is that we have each other.

Our strength is our ability to unite around our shared principles. Our path forward is through our union and our ability to connect with North Dakotans across the state. ”

Hello, and welcome back!

I hope this message finds each of you well as we transition from a beautiful summer to what I hope will be a glorious autumn. This time of year is one of my favorites because the summer memories are still fresh in my mind, and I can look forward to doing the work that I am passionate about: advocating for the members of North Dakota United and the people who benefit from our good work.

Whatever your job title, I hope that your summer was restful and restorative. Goodness knows you will need every ounce of energy you can muster to continue to provide our students and the good people of North Dakota with the vital education, support and services they need to thrive.

To be sure, we will face many challenges between now and next fall. But I honestly believe that we will have many opportunities, as well.

So, let’s talk about a few of those challenges. If you haven’t yet noticed that we are in the middle of an intense election season, allow me to be the first to welcome you back to Earth.

The U.S. Senate race, due to its national importance, continues to attract attention and millions of advertising dollars to North Dakota. The U.S. House race, too, has garnered much attention.

But as Thomas “Tip” O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.”

Elsewhere in this edition of United Voices, you will find a list of the candidates that your fellow members, your ND United Political Action Committee (UPAC), and the NDU Board of Directors have decided are worthy of our support. These candidates have been vetted and their records examined to be sure that they will be supportive voices of reason as our issues are debated in our state Legislature. If we are to be successful, my friends, then we are going to have to work as hard as we can to ensure that we elect as many like-minded men and women as possible. This is not a Democrat thing or a Republican thing. This is a “who can I trust to vote in my best interest” thing.

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And we will need every friend we can get during the 66th Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 3, 2019.

No matter what job you do – university faculty, education or higher ed support professional, K-12 teacher, or any of the other important positions at the municipal, county or state level – you know the landscape. You have had to work harder, with fewer colleagues, and for less salary over the course of these past few years. Unfortunately, there is no indication that things will get better without our involvement. In fact, there are indications that things could be worse.

For example, there is a bill already in the hopper that would mandate that NDPERS offer only a single health insurance plan to state employees. If this were to pass – and we will fight like hell to see that it doesn’t – those NDU members who receive health insurance through PERS will have to pay the extra cost for a family plan out of their own pockets. And this after going two years without a raise. This is not sound public policy; this is just plain mean-spirited.

So, the challenges include a very tough upcoming legislative session. But I mentioned that I saw opportunities, as well as challenges.

The biggest opportunity that I see is you! You and all the members of North Dakota United.

You see, our superpower is that we have each other. Our strength is our ability to unite around our shared principles. Our path forward is through our union and our ability to connect with North Dakotans across the state. ndunited.org

To be successful, we must outwork, outorganize, and ultimately, outvote those whose stilted vision has damaged our institutions and made our work more difficult.

We must commit to work toward a brighter future for all public employees.

We must commit to taking shifts knocking doors for ND Unitedendorsed candidates.

We must commit to taking shifts on the phone banks in support of our candidates.

We must commit to having conversations with our neighbors over the fence, over a cup of coffee or over a beer. Let them know that what you do is important and that our communities will suffer if we don’t elect people who understand that we will never cut our way to prosperity. Only through investing in our public schools, our great universities and our public workforce will North Dakota be able to maintain its reputation as a great place for people to come to work and raise their families.

All of us at North Dakota United make an incredible difference in the lives of our neighbors through our work, and the public appreciates us for it. Now we can make an equally positive difference in their Legislature. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by. This is a truly historic election. There is much at stake.

Please do not let it pass without doing everything you can to bend the arc of history just a bit more toward justice.

Thank you for your work, and thank you for your membership in North Dakota United!

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Education Perspectives

DESIGN THINKING IS THE GOAL Start new school year off right by challenging yourself and students

The school year is about to officially kickoff for schools across North Dakota. Are you ready to challenge your students and yourself ? Our governor has implemented innovation challenges to educators and students. What steps are you willing to take to meet district and personal challenges?

Take small steps to success. I was part of a book study with North Dakota United that featured Ted Dintersmith’s book, “What Schools Could Be.” It was a wonderful challenge to review my current practices. Evaluating effective practices and reforming strategies that did not fully engage students were topics I was forced to consider. Developing plans that move my students into “design thinking” is now my goal. Design thinking motivates students to embrace problem solving. Lessons include interviews and actions that create a positive impact on others or community. Introducing students to real-world problems, allows students to develop empathy for others and move away from theory concepts.

By Karen Christensen NDU Vice President of Education

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Developing a plan to put the solution in place and carrying it out will involve talking to individuals that can support the plan. Utilize the talents of all students in the class and encourage the cooperative effort of making the plan successful.”

Students discuss a problem in their classroom, school or community. Students then need to choose and define the problem. The class can work on one project and break the responsibilities into smaller groups. If they can define more than one problem that needs to be addressed, smaller groups can take on each project. Set aside time each week to focus on the project.

Students will need to brainstorm multiple solutions. All ideas will be evaluated by the group and debated. The teacher serves as the guide and time manager. Students will need to choose the solution they think will solve their problem and test it. They will need to apply the knowledge they have to a real-life situation.

Developing a plan to put the solution in place and carrying it out will involve talking to individuals that can support the plan. Utilize the talents of all students in the class and encourage the cooperative effort of making the plan successful.

The final step to design thinking is reflecting on the outcome. Evaluate the goal and outcome. Students should be given the opportunity to discuss what they liked about the outcome and strategies on how they could improve on the project. Students are engaged in critical thinking skills and engage in their own “exam” on the project.

Design thinking allows subjects like math, science, or social studies to become real.

Students are given the opportunity to use skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Soft and hard skills that are needed as adults will be fostered and leadership skills are developed.

A new school year presents the opportunity for new goals. I challenge you to step outside of what you have been doing for years and try one small project this year. Track the standards you meet during the project and document the engagement of your students.

I believe you will be surprised to see some disinterested students taking a real interest in growing their skills.

Enjoy your year! I am excited to hear what educators are doing with their students this year.

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WE ARE THE FACES OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Public Service Perspectives

It is time to stand up and speak out about the need for FTEs Summer is coming to a close, students are heading back to college and campaign commercials are in full swing as we head to the election in November. Employees within state agencies and at each university are starting to hear about their agency’s budget proposals for meeting Gov. Doug Burgum’s budget parameters for the 2019-21 biennium.

Governor Burgum budget parameters require most state agencies to submit a reduction of 5 percent of its full-time employees (FTEs), a 90 percent budget, and an additional 3 percent contingency reduction to allow for variances in revenue collections due to swings in commodity prices.

The required allotments and budget cuts during the 2017-19 biennium resulted in significant program cuts and reductions in the number of funded FTEs at each state agencies and higher education faculty and staff within the University System. The remaining employees have seen their workloads increase, leading to stress for employees trying to meet management’s expectations and the public’s desire for quality, timely services. Additional reductions in personnel required by the Governor’s budget request will make it difficult if not impossible to provide all the programs and services that currently are being provided.

As a state employee and a member of North Dakota United, we must tell our story to our neighbors, our legislators and the Governor to put a face to the vital services that we provide each and every day. We are the people on the frontlines who know the impacts the reductions in the number of employees have had on the services being provided.

Employees from various agencies across the state have told me how thin they are being stretched in trying meet the growing need for services. The stress and anxiety experienced by employees due to larger caseloads and staff shortages is leaving many employees wondering if they will be able to continue doing their job or if they should look for other employment.

State employees and higher education faculty and staff must continue to talk to elected officials and the citizens of North Dakota about the need to have adequate FTEs to provide the services the residents of North Dakota expect. We must also advocate for a budget that will provide the resources for the programs we deliver and funding for salaries and benefits that will enable the state to retain and attract quality employees.

By Gary Feist NDU Vice President of Public Employees

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As a state employee and a member of North Dakota United, we must tell our story to our neighbors, our legislators and the Governor to put a face to the vital services that we provide each and every day.”

With the collective voice of NDU members across the state along with the voice of the constituents we serve we can make sure that the Legislature will pass a state budget that adequately funds higher education, public services, and the wages and benefits of state employees.

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Lt. Jason Stugelmeyer, who oversees the police department’s Police Youth Bureau, speaks about the roles of School Resource Officers.

SCHOOL SAFETY A CONCERN NDU, DPI host forums across state to discuss problems

By Kelly Hagen NDU Communications

Safety in our schools is a big subject, in breadth and in intensity.

Because a majority of every community in North Dakota holds some stake in our schools, as parents, grandparents, family or friends of students, teachers and staff, we all want our institutions of education to be safe places, for kids and adults, alike.

With that mission in mind, North Dakota United partnered with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and several other stakeholders to present a state tour of six School Safety Community Listening Forums in August.

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The first stop in Bismarck on Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Horizon Middle School was a good start for this important topic of conversation.

Representatives from ND United, DPI, as well as the Governor’s office, the Highway Patrol, the ND Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL), Small Organized Schools, the School Boards Association, Association of Counties, Department of Human Services and Department of Homeland Security – Emergency Services were all in attendance. Additionally, members of the Bismarck Education Association made up approximately a third of the audience.

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Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota’s superintendent of public instruction, said she was pleased with the public participation in the forum. About 40 people attended, including officials who were there to answer questions.

“I think people came with honest questions and very honest concerns and suggestions,” Baesler said. “I think we can do even more to encourage that, and make people feel comfortable and safe.”

The idea for these forums partially came from a discussion between Baesler and ND United executive director Chad Oban earlier this year. “After the Parkland shooting in Florida, I had a conversation with Superintendent Baesler where we discussed the unease in our communities and classrooms after incidents like this,” Oban said.

“We talked about the upcoming legislative session and the need to have thoughtful conversations about what is being done and what should be done to keep our kids and school staff safe. Baesler and her office very quickly convened a group that included not only education stakeholders but also folks from law enforcement and human services to start the conversation. Superintendent Baesler deserves a lot of credit for leading on this issue.”

about 70 percent, was physical aggression toward either a peer or an adult, a teacher. Those are things we need to focus on, and we do have great support from the district, with the school board coming forth. We’re really in the infant stages of knowing what this all looks like.”

One of the questions posed from the audience was how many out of the 80 school resource officers (SROs) in the state are based in a rural school setting. Superintendent Baesler answered that question, saying, “Twelve in the rural communities, which would be classified as Class B schools. There are 20 Class A schools, and the majority of our SROs are located in our Class A school system.”

One of the teachers in the audience, who did not give his name, talked about the need for more support in our rural schools. “I’m a teacher in a small district, and if this is a listening forum, hear me,” he said. “I keep hearing at the legislative session that it’s a mental health issue, and it is. But we’re powerless to do what needs to be done. And that needs to be changed, not here in this room, but at the Capitol. We want security, we want mental health, we want the same thing. We all want safety and the best for our kids.”

The format for these forums was designed to maximize audience participation. Aside from a quick introduction from Darin Hanson, critical infrastructure program & security manager at the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, the floor was open entirely to questions and comments from anyone in attendance.

“I do think there was a well-rounded balance of suggestions, concerns, affirmation of what’s going on, and a deep desire and interest to make sure that we’re covering all aspects of student safety, from mental health issues to active shooters to secure buildings and secure and safe classrooms,” Baesler said.

One of the NDU members in attendance, Lyndsi Huber, spoke about behavioral health issues in our classrooms. “After our (contract) impasse at Bismarck Public Schools (in 2017), we did establish a Health and Safety Committee,” Huber said, “and I’m on that committee. Bismarck has started collecting data to see where trends are heading, see what kids are doing, see where it’s happening and why it’s happening, and what the outbursts are looking like.”

From the data that the committee has collected so far, out of 343 safety-concern incidents, approximately 80 percent happened with dysregulated students.

“These are students who are emotionally or behaviorally challenged, or having a struggle,” Huber said. “We have it broke up into categories, so it would be verbal, physical aggression; verbal threat, physical threat; destruction of property; risk to self or student becoming a risk to themselves, be it they were climbing on cabinets or running out into the road, things like that. The biggest one, ndunited.org

Superintendent Kirsten Baesler speaks at the Bismarck School Safety Forum.

Oban urged those in attendance during the listening tour to think about the entirety of what school safety means. “Those of us involved in the planning really need and want to hear from the community about what is happening and what they are concerned about,” he said. “It can’t just be a conversation about what happens when someone has a gun in school but what are we doing in the state to make sure kids never get in those situations? What are we doing to make sure kids, even before they are in school, get the services they need? What are we doing to make sure the staff and students are safe every day? What are we doing to curb the issues that lead to suicide and other issues in our students? It is clear we are not doing enough. We cannot afford, as a state, to take the easy or cheap way to solve these problems. If we care about our kids, we must do more as a community. Teachers, public workers, parents and other leaders must be part of this conversation.”

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Election Day is November 6, 2018.

As public professionals, you play a vital role in shaping and influencing policies affecting your practice and expertise.

Every decision made affecting classrooms, public schools and universities, and public service is at some level a political decision.

Because of the important roles that elected officials play in our members’ professional lives, North Dakota United takes a very deliberate, measured approach to making recommendations for elections. Decisions are made in a nonpartisan fashion, supporting candidates based on their stances on issues that our association cares deeply about, and not their political affiliation.

How Does NDU Recommend Candidates?

NDU members choose candidates to recommend based on information collected through voting records, candidate surveys and in-person interviews. The following is a step-by-step process on how NDU makes its recommendations.

North Dakota Statewide Recommendations:

Candidates for state offices of interest to NDU are asked to attend an interview with UPAC members. We use questionnaire and interview information to recommend the candidates who best support our beliefs and interests, regardless of their political party. In addition to the comments made during the interview, the UPAC members discuss evidence of support (relationship with association, past voting records) to made recommendations to the UPAC and the NDU Board for approval.

North Dakota Congressional Recommendations:

Congressional candidates are asked to attend an interview with UPAC members. We use a list of questions developed by members based on federal issues adopted by the NEA and AFT conventions. In addition to the comments made during the interview, the UPAC members discuss evidence of support (relationship with association, past voting records) to made recommendations to the UPAC and the NDU Board. If the recommendations are accepted by the UPAC and NDU Board, they are then forwarded to the NEA Fund’s Council and the AFT Executive Committee for approval.

North Dakota Legislative Recommendations:

Candidates for office can receive the endorsement of North Dakota United and the ND Untied Political Committee (UPAC) by one of two ways: 1. Incumbents with a proven record in office of voting in line with NDU values receive a performance recommendation.

2. Candidates for office, or incumbents without a performance recommendation, are given a survey to fill out. These candidates provide written answers to a series of questions about public education and employee rights.

UPAC members use this information to made recommendations to the UPAC and the NDU Board for approval.

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The general election is November 6. As you consider your ballot, please check out the pro-education, pro-public service candidates endorsed by UPAC. ND United Voices

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NORTH DAKOTA UNITED

RECOMMENDS HEITKAMP, SCHNEIDER, STENEHJEM, BOSCHEE & OVERSEN

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“Serving the people of North Dakota has been the greatest honor of my life. Being re-elected to serve you in the Senate would allow me to build on the work I’ve done during my first term to ensure that North Dakota continues to be a place where working families can succeed and thrive,” said ND United-recommended candidate for U.S. Senate Heidi Heitkamp.

“North Dakotans deserve a senator who wakes up every morning thinking about them and their needs and concerns, and not about loyalty to a political party or a president. Washington has too many hard liners and too few people thinking about the people they represent. I’m proud to say I only answer to North Dakotans and hope that, with your support, I can continue to do so in a second term in the United States Senate.

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“North Dakota public employees and educators are some of the hardestworking people in our state. Having your support, and the support of your union, affirms my commitment to fighting for a strong, and appropriately funded, K-12 and higher education system, and policies that ensure our state’s educators and public employees can count on a secure retirement, strong family leave policies and a safe work environment,” Heitkamp said.

“The work you do, day in and day out, is what makes our state such a special place to live, work and raise a family. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support and for standing shoulder to shoulder with me to make sure working folks in North Dakota have a strong advocate in Washington.”

MAC SCHNEIDER

for United States House of Representatives “I’m running for Congress to be an effective advocate for our state and the kind of lawmaker who will reach across the aisle to move our country forward,” said Mac Schneider, ND United-recommended candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. “North Dakota and our country would be best served by a focus on kitchen table issues like jobs, education and balancing the budget rather than the partisan game-playing that’s all too common in Washington. North Dakotans work hard and work together to face down challenges. Congress should too. I’ll work with anyone – Democrat or Republican – to advance the best interests of our state and country.

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“As a product of North Dakota’s education system from grade school through college at the University of North Dakota, I couldn’t have more respect for educators and public employees. To receive NDU’s support is a real honor,” Schneider said. “This month, I’ll drop off my six-year-old daughter Merritt for her first day of first grade at Hawthorne Elementary, where I started school 34 years ago. I know she will receive a great education thanks to educators and support staff who work so hard for our kids. I’m very proud to stand with NDU and its members as they go about their important work of educating our children and performing critical functions within our government.”

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WAYNE STENEHJEM

for North Dakota Attorney General “North Dakota has been at the forefront in many areas for years and has gained national attention for all that’s going on. We need to continue to promote the good that has occurred, but also be mindful – and realize – that there continue to be challenges that need to be addressed,” said ND United-recommended candidate for Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem.

“It has been my honor to have the endorsement of ND United (and NDEA) as I ran for re-election to the state House and Senate for 24 years, and in each election as Attorney General for 18 years,” said Stenehjem. “Your support has helped me become the longestserving Attorney General in North Dakota history. I come from a family with long histories as state employees and am proud of the dedication devoted to education by my wife, Beth, when she was a classroom teacher. Today, our office has nearly 240 dedicated state employees who come to work every day, ready to work on behalf of our citizens. They are proud of the job they do, and of the support they receive from the top. I fully appreciate that the state enjoys outstanding service from our state employees, which means they are also entitled to a fair salary and fringe benefits. Your advocacy on behalf of your membership is commendable, and I have appreciated the opportunity we’ve enjoyed over the years to work together on all the issues you support, and look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead.”

JOSH BOSCHEE

for North Dakota Secretary of State “I’m running for Secretary of State to modernize the office and ensure that every eligible North Dakotan’s right to vote is protected,” said ND United-recommended candidate for Secretary of state, Josh Boschee. “As a member of North Dakota United, I am also committed to continue to be an advocate for public employees at all levels of government.

“I am honored to be endorsed by my North Dakota United family,” said Boschee. “As a former public employee and NDPEA chapter president, I know firsthand the joys and challenges of serving North Dakotans through our work in the public sector. Your endorsement gives me the strength to know that we have each other’s backs when it comes to ensuring that our government is supporting sound public policy that improves the quality of life throughout our state and provides public employees a safe and respectful workplace.”

Boschee has served in the ND State House of Representatives since 2013, during which he held a nearly perfect voting record with North Dakota United.

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ND United Voices

KYLIE OVERSEN

for North Dakota Tax Commissioner “I made the decision to run for Tax Commissioner because I believe that North Dakotans deserve a Tax Commissioner who is committed to his or her work and constituents, offering a vision for fair, reasonable tax policy, and willing to build relationships with other elected officials to best serve the needs of all residents of our state. I did not see these qualities in our current Tax Commissioner and knew that I had a lot to offer the office. Further, I was frustrated and worried about the impact of the ongoing budget crisis in state government,” said Kylie Oversen, ND United-recommended candidate for Tax Commissioner.

“As a former member of North Dakota United, the endorsement is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Oversen. “My grandpa was the head maintenance/custodial man at my hometown school for more than 30 years. I know how hard he worked, and know how hard all of our public employees and teachers work. They should have a strong voice in state government, advocating for their needs, and ensuring they are getting the pay, benefits and support that they deserve. In addition, as Tax Commissioner, I would oversee more than 120 public employees. I would value the opportunity to work with and build relationships with those employees and make sure that their voices are heard, too, in the work that I do as Commissioner. In this time of across-the-board budget cuts, our state employees deserve elected officials who have their backs. I’m proud that NDU has mine and commit to always standing up for our public employees and teachers.”

2018 LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS State Senate: 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 35 37 41 43 45

Nicole Poolman Richard Marcellais Tim Mathern Judy Lee Dave Oehlke Ray Holmberg Nikolaus Groenewold Kathy Hogan Joan Heckaman Perry Miller Quinn Garrick Katherine Roth Erin Oban Rich Wardner Kyle Davison JoNell Bakke Ronald Sorvaag

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State House of Representatives: 3 3 9 9 11 11 13 13 15 15 17 17 21 21 23 23 25 25

Shannon Krueger Bob Schwatrz Tracy Boe Marvin Nelson Gretchen Dobervich Ron Guggisberg Dianne Hyndman Landis Larson Dennis Johnson Greg Westlind Monte Gaukler Mark Sanford LaurieBeth Hager Mary Schneider Jessica Dillon Hawkes Cathy Swenson Alisa Mitskog Cynthia Schreiber Beck

27 27 29 29 35 35 37 37 41 41 43 43 45 47 47

Thomas Beadle Ruth Buffalo Lori Carlson Mary Schlosser Joe Elsberry Bob Martinson Keith Fernsler Fern Pokorny Pamela Anderson Brandon Medenwald Mary Adams Matt Eidson Mary Johnson Sabina Gasper George Keiser

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Hazen Middle School science teacher Patty Mosset.

STEM DAYS ARE A HIT IN HAZEN

Middle school science teacher introduces project-based learning in small community

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

One of many challenges facing educators from across North Dakota, and the whole country, is how do we best prepare students to be workers in a landscape that is changing so rapidly that the jobs they will one day hold likely don’t even exist yet? And we’re seeing the answers coming out of every corner of our state, in communities large and small.

In the small, rural community of Hazen, N.D., science teacher Patty Mosset has risen to the challenge by creating STEM Days for the Hazen Middle School. For a full day, students are placed into “companies,” and each student is given an occupation. If you’re the manager, you are in charge of the project and overseeing all your teammates. “They may be an engineer or an advertising specialist or some other career that pertains to the project,” Mosset said.

“They work at that profession for the day, and they’re all given one problem to solve or something to invent.”

Mosset first got the idea for STEM Days from a professionaldevelopment session from the North Dakota State College of Science. “NDSCS has a STEM outreach program,” she said, “And they actually offer some supplies and some lesson plans.” They’ve used some of those lesson plans as the basis for STEM Days, including one in which oil needs to be cleaned out of a body of water. “They have this hydrophobic sand as one of their supplies,” she said, “and the students were using that to create an invention.

They have to bring it in for a price; they have to explain, how did 14

we make this? How much is it going to cost? How much would it cost to clean this up? What would our employees get paid?”

This past year, STEM Days were centered on a zombie apocalypse scenario around Halloween time, and the Winter Olympics this past February. “They had to choose a city to be the next host of the Winter Olympics that hasn’t already been chosen because the next couple are already chosen,” Mosset said. “So we took 2026 as the next Winter Olympics that hadn’t already been chosen, and we specified they had to find a U.S. city. Then they get their geography in there as well, and they had to study the climate, the topography.

Could you host the Winter Olympics in this region? And do you have enough hotels? And security, what would you need to host the Winter Olympics? So they just really get a bigger picture than the small individual projects that you would do in your own little classroom.”

At the end of their projects, the teams have to present their plans and findings to a panel of experts from the community. “Typically we try to bring in maybe one or two people that aren’t parents, but then a lot of parents, just because especially at the middle school level, they’ve kind of been removed from the classroom parties and all this stuff. But it’s still kind of fun for the parents, and for them to see their kids and what they’re doing.”

They try to match up judges with backgrounds that fit well with the ND United Voices

scenarios. “When we did the zombie one, we tried to have some nurses and physician’s assistants, people in the medical field, and one of the parents was a funeral director,” Mosset said. “And so we just kind of tried to have somebody with some background in the sciences, and then maybe a business owner, somebody who would know ... We’ve had engineers from Coyote (the lignite coal-fired plant near Beulah), from DGC (Dakota Gasification Plant), and we call it a boardroom or judges panel.”

Students compete for prizes, such as special T-shirts made by the Business class, cookies made at the school and a free assignment pass. “Typically, that’s been kind of how we’ve done it, as more of a reward than a grade,” Mosset said. “And I think that’s probably maybe a little easier. Most parents are really supportive of trying something new. I think parents who have been here and been judges have all been able to see the value in providing your kid that opportunity. It’s been great. And our administration and our staff has been very supportive.”

Hazen Education Association president Chris Harvey agrees.

“These STEM Days have been a big hit in Hazen,” Harvey said.

“Our high school science teachers also started the same type of activity last year,” and they invited NDU President Nick Archuleta, Superintendent Kirsten Baesler and Lieutenant Gov. Brent Sanford to serve as judges for their event on Dec. 22, 2017. ndunited.org

“I think it’s a really good project for them,” Mosset said.

“Sometimes the students will be like, can we pick our own teams?

And I say, that’s not the reality of life. You don’t get to pick your co-workers. And that’s one of the most important things that I think they gain from this is the teamwork aspect because inevitably there’s going to be somebody who has a different idea than you, or maybe somebody isn’t doing their fair share and you have to pick up the slack, because in the end you have a deadline and it has to be done.”

And those soft skills of learning how to work in teams is so valuable to students as they go out into the world and take jobs where they need to know how to work alongside co-workers with different viewpoints and styles. “I feel like this gives the opportunity for those students who maybe aren’t as good at the memorization piece, but they’re really good with their hands, they’re able to build, they have great people skills,” Mosset said. “It really gives those students the opportunity to shine on those days because it’s just out-of-the-box activity that they don’t have to transfer information from a book to a worksheet. Because that isn’t real life. I think it’s so important that students get those opportunities.”

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Rita Murphy Elementary School teacher Olivia Becker.

LETTING STUDENTS LEAD

Bismarck educator has implemented mindfulness, student-led conferences in her classroom

By Tom Gerhardt NDU Communications

Bismarck Rita Murphy Elementary School second grade teacher Olivia Becker has transformed her classroom to include mindfulness, yoga and project-based learning. Most recently, she decided to implement student-led parent-teacher conferences.

Becker says that when she began her career over four years ago, she followed a more traditional model of teaching. Becker says she soon found her students weren’t happy and she was going home frustrated and sometimes in tears.

Visit www.ndunited.org/news for a video story on Olivia Becker’s innovative approaches to education.

Specifically, Becker says she was overwhelmed by curriculum, teaching to standards and student behaviors. Becker decided to reinvent her teaching style, which now focuses on student choice, an open-concept classroom with flexible seating, and practicing yoga and mindfulness. In the spring of 2018, she opted to introduce student-led parent-teacher conferences. She says the move empowered her students to care about what went into their portfolios and added a level of accountability as students cared more because they were directly involved in the process.

“I’m always wondering how we can get students to be more accountable for their own learning. And so, when I read about 16

student-led conferences, it just kind of made sense where students are talking about their progress and they’re aware of their own learning. So, it just made sense to me for kids to be talking about themselves versus me telling parents what I think I know,” Becker said.

In the video story you can find exclusively on our website, www.ndunited.org/news, two of her students explain what they’ve learned from practicing mindfulness and from participating in student-led parent-teacher conferences and project-based learning.

Becker says incorporating all of those concepts has led to better behaved and more engaged students. And she says she’s a happier teacher!

Listen to Episode #23 of The Cutting Ed podcast with Olivia Becker by visiting www.ndunited.org/ thecuttinged.

Becker is a North Dakota United and Bismarck Education Association member. You can contact her at olivia_becker@ bismarckschools.org.

ND United Voices

FEELING FOOD SECURE

School programs help students not to worry about where next meal will come from

By Kelly Hagen NDU Communications

For far too many of our students, school may be the only place where they can safely expect upon receiving a square meal. During the summer and over holidays, when school isn’t in session, some families struggle to put food on the table for their children.

Fortunately, school districts across our state step up to the plate each summer and provide free meals for these “food insecure” kids and their families.

“I was at a conference just a couple of weeks ago, and I was kind of surprised to hear the statistic that, just in North Dakota, one in five kids may be food insecure,” said Michelle Wagner, the child nutrition program director for Bismarck Public Schools. “That means they’re not sure where the next meal is going to come. I don’t think anybody in North Dakota really thanks about it like that. I was even shocked. One in five, that’s a lot.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics from 2016 show that 16.5 percent of U.S. households with children are food-insecure.

A USDA study, Household Food Security in the United States, puts the food-insecure rate in North Dakota at 8.8 percent, or about 28,160 of North Dakota’s households, from 2014-16.

Bismarck Schools has been serving free meals during the summers in parks across town for students and families the past four years. This year’s Summer Food Program served lunches at 10 sites in Bismarck from June 4-July 27, excluding July 4-6. Wagner estimated that approximately 800 lunches were served each day, plus for the first time this year, breakfast was also being served.

Gina Barbere, an assistant elementary supervisor and proud “lunch lady” at Wachter, comes into work at 7 a.m. each day and begins to cook 300+ meals for delivery to parks, where students and their families are eligible to eat for free. A $4 donation is suggested for adults, but not mandatory.

“I cook here at Wachter and serve (for summer school) from 11-11:30,” Barbere said. “Tom, our warehouse manager, picks up at 10:30 to deliver to the parks, which start serving at noon.”

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She said she feels the same rewards for preparing food for students during the summer as she does during the regular school year. “Oh, gosh,” she said, “Personally, it is about building that relationship with a student and seeing that smile, and them having that comfortability, and even making their day. Not only just physically with a warm meal that will sustain them through the day, but just giving them a smile on a day that they might not have one.”

In Mandan, lunches were served every weekday at Dykshoorn Park in the bandshell from 12:15-12:45 p.m., and in Kiwanis Park from 1-1:30 p.m., through Aug. 3. In Minot, breakfast is served from 7:45-8:30 a.m. and a snack at 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Roosevelt Elementary School, from June 4-Aug. 10. Additionally, breakfast, lunch and a snack are served Mondays through Fridays, June 4-Aug. 10 at Perkett Elementary School.

According to Melissa Anderson, the Food Distribution Programs Manager for the N.D. Department of Public Instruction, there were 40 sponsors for the Summer Food Service Program in 30 towns and cities in our state for 2018. “Sponsors are school districts, nonprofit organizations, churches and city departments,” Anderson said.

The Summer Food Service Program has been operating in our state since at least 1984 and has grown steadily since its start. “We have seen a slight increase in the number of sponsors participating each year,” Anderson said. “However, participation has grown over 10 percent each year since 2015.”

Food assistance programs are important for kids all year long, Anderson said, including the summer. “There are many kids in North Dakota that rely on the lunch that they receive during the school year because it may be the only meal they get all day,” she said. “This program provides meals to those kids who struggle to get enough to eat during the summer months. Summer should be a fun time for children, they shouldn’t have to worry about being hungry.”

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North Dakota State University government information librarian Susanne Caro.

Member Profile

THE VALUE OF HISTORY

Government information librarian at NDSU helps preserve information for the future

By Kelly Hagen NDU Communications

“

We’re more than happy to help,” ...and we’re very much partners with agencies to help them get their message out.”

North Dakota has been a state for 129 years and was part of the Dakota Territory for 28 years beyond that. Europeans first started settling this area in the early 1700s, and Native American peoples had been living here for thousands of years before that. Together, we have learned a lot about how to live, thrive and survive in the Upper Great Plains, and our ancestors have documented a whole lot of that knowledge.

But where is the best place to store this information? And, just as importantly, who should we entrust this information with?

Inside the Library at North Dakota State University, you can find the office of one of those individuals whom we trust with our historical knowledge: government information librarian and North Dakota United member Susanne Caro.

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ND United Voices

This year will be Caro’s first full school year at NDSU. Previous to starting her position here in February 2018, she was the government information librarian at the University of Montana.

Her primary role at NDSU is similar to her responsibilities in Montana; she is the liaison to faculty and students in the use of government documents and helps to provide general and specialized reference assistance and instruction.

“My main duties were as the federal regional depository coordinator,” Caro said about her time at University of Montana.

“What that is all about is there is a system called the Federal Depository Library Program, and that was really kicked off, I would say, about 1965. But it goes back much further than that with the Government Publishing Office first started to print and disseminate government content. So it’s all of the hearings and the debates. And after a while it was whatever the government published, and it would be sent out to everyone, or at least to a number of different libraries, and often agricultural colleges were included on that.”

NDSU works with the University of North Dakota together as a joint regional depository library. According to the UND website (https://library.und.edu/government-documents/fdlp.php), the Chester Fritz Library was first designated a Federal Depository in 1890, and UND and NDSU have shared that depository status since 1968. UND receives approximately 60 percent of all federal government-distributed information, and NDSU houses 40 percent.

“As a regional, you support the other libraries in the program in the state,” Caro said. “North Dakota is actually really unique in that there is a shared repository. And we actually have split the collection so we have half and they have half, which is good because we don’t have huge amounts of space. And it lets us focus -- for example, we have all of the agricultural materials. We also have the Department of the Interior. And when I was in Montana, we were a single regional depository. So, then I supported eight, nine other libraries in the state. If they had questions about something or someone had come to them looking for a particular piece of information and they didn’t know where to look for that, I would help out with that and with outreach training and that sort of thing. I’ll be doing much the same here.”

Caro grew up in a small town called Idyllwild, Calif., or small by California standards, as she says. “The population probably isn’t more than 3,000.” She got her undergraduate degree from Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico, and a master’s degree in library science from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, before working at the New Mexico State Library as state document librarian.

From her time in New Mexico, she learned about a story that speaks to the importance of holding on to history and the original documents from a state’s past.

everything out and told somebody, ‘Just get rid of all of this stuff,’” she said. “So, he was selling this material to the butchers, to the prisons for toilet paper. If he had too much, he would start burning it, and people started grabbing it. This was content going back to the early Spanish governors of New Mexico, like a couple hundred years’ worth of records. And that’s actually how the State Archives started, by people rescuing this material and saying, hey, maybe you shouldn’t be doing this.”

Caro says that North Dakota has it written into the Century Code that UND and NDSU, in coordination with the State Historical Society, will receive copies of state documents. “And that’s really important to keep because those are probably one of the more endangered type of government document because it is not collected really outside of the state,” she said. “So, if something happens – and that could be a flood, that could be a tornado, that could be a well-meaning person deciding to get more space and maybe throwing away something they shouldn’t have – there’s only so many copies that are out there. It’s very important to keep that state history, that sort of state legacy that’s going on.”

Because of NDSU’s history as an agriculture college, the collection of agricultural documents has proven to be incredibly helpful for the future generation of farmers to learn from patterns in the past.

“We have the Department of Agriculture annual report going back to 1863,” Caro said. “And those are fabulous because they will describe different varieties of crops, different plants, different pests, different ways to prevent pests from destroying crops.

And it gives you a really interesting history of agriculture and the equipment that was used at different times or even the pesticides that were used at different times. So if you need to know maybe historically what’s been used on that soil, that can be an important factor.”

Caro plans to visit different parts of the state this year for field days with the NDSU Extension Service. “We’re going to be going up to Minot and Langdon, and kind of do a bit of a circle,” she said. “Mostly we’re going to be hearing about research and what they’re doing at the various sites. And one of the reasons I want to go is to reach out to the people who are working there, and to find out what their needs are and if there’s any way that we can be of help to them.”

She said she hopes to extend a helping hand to all state agencies and employees through her professional responsibilities. If you have documents of historical value, the NDSU Library wants to help preserve them.

“We’re more than happy to help,” she said, “and we’re very much partners with agencies to help them get their message out. We do care about their content. We care about the research and their various efforts. And want to make sure that people are going to be able to access all of the great work they do. And please don’t throw it away!”

“There was a governor of New Mexico who, when he got to the palace of the governor, decided it was too cluttered and to clean ndunited.org

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SHELTER BELT FOR HIGHER ED

Effort aims to use consensus to stabilize the future of higher education in North Dakota

By Chris Erickson NDU Member

There are certain moments in time when cultural, economic and political factors zero in on the same point, often resulting in substantial changes. For the last few years, one such point has been higher education in the United States.

In North Dakota’s recent history, several efforts have been made to analyze trends and perspectives on higher education, apart from regular strategic planning at North Dakota University System and each of its 11 public institutions. In the 1990s, the “Vision 2000” effort took place, followed by the “Roundtable” of the early 2000s. Each found unique challenges and successes, and helped set the tone for the recent Envision 2030 initiative.

Originating as a one-day summit in 2016, the initiative sought to bring together as many leaders as the fire-code capacity in the Brynhild Haugland room at the state Capitol would allow.

Shortly after the day’s proceedings concluded, it was obvious to all involved that it was only the beginning. The subsequent two years reconfirmed that all the constituent and stakeholder groups of higher education – business owners, community members, faculty, legislators, staff and students – each had their own respective outlook and needs. What may be surprising to some is that there was also considerable overlap among those outlooks.

Unsurprisingly, that overlap was all about people.

Those people-focused goals could be articulated as: 1) give students choices; 2) protect our workforce; and 3) stabilize them both into the future. The Envision 2030 effort has already made significant progress to that end.

The initial one-day summit evolved into listening sessions and grew naturally into a consensus-building initiative that will likely look far past 2030 as it matures. For now, efforts have produced results for the first two goals noted above by encouraging our institutions to provide more responsive programming and by fully embracing competitive benefits for faculty and staff. In those ways, students, faculty and staff can feel more at ease to “spread their roots” here, rather than be compelled to look outside the state for educational and employment opportunities. But, it’s hard to aim toward those goals when the budget outlook can be so tremendously affected by our commodity-based economy.

Sometimes, when one is faced with a challenging task (or challenging three tasks), it’s best to look to the past to find answers. The picture of history that compelled us the most came out of the Great Depression era: shelter belts.

At that time, cultural, economic, environmental and political

factors caused near-irreparable change to literal and figurative landscapes across the country. After Dust Bowl conditions wore away natural resources throughout the Great Plains, a simple answer was put into place involving a natural barrier that would work against the winds of change; a barrier to keep those resources in place and allow roots to take hold.

Today, our remarkable agricultural sector still relies on shelter belts for protection against erosion of natural resources. But, it’s time to create another force of protection, this time against the erosive threat of out-migration. In short, our faculty, staff and students are essential resources who will help build North Dakota’s future.

But, what happens if they don’t have a protective barrier to keep their choices and livelihoods intact?

Envision 2030 has helped propose that protective barrier, with a Higher Education Stabilization Fund that could serve to preserve and foster growth in our landscape of public postsecondary education. Better yet, precedent exists for such funds in states similar to our own.

The first example was created in Texas in 1876, with the Permanent University Fund. This “sovereign wealth fund” began with the gift of 2.1 million acres of land in western Texas that generates funding through oil and gas leases. According to its most recent independent financial report, the fund stands at roughly $20 billion and provides yearly disbursements to 27 entities throughout the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems, amounting to 50 percent of the state’s public student enrollment.

A similar fund has was created in Alaska in 2012, when its legislature forecast similar challenges that we face now: outmigration and increasing attainment needs for current and new jobs. To address that, the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund was created with a $400 million initial investment that now helps sustain and protect Alaska’s most valued resources: its people.

While a fund such as this would serve to provide a stabilizing influence for higher education’s funding model here, it’s a topic that will affect many and deserves more attention. Tens of thousands of North Dakotans are positively affected each year by our system, and if this Higher Education Stabilization Fund “shelter belt” were to positively affect more, then it’s worth starting the conversation. We look forward to hearing more thoughts on this topic, and to working with the Governor and members of the Legislature on this, and more.

[Chris Erickson is the public affairs manager for North Dakota University System, system lead on the Envision 2030 effort and an ND United member. More information and reports can be found at http://envision2030.ndus.edu. What do you think about Envision 2030? Feel free to send your perspectives to chris.erickson@ndus.edu]

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SBHE RECOMMENDS RAISES

Higher education board member says system is losing quality faculty and staff

By Tom Gerhardt NDU Communications

The budget proposal the North Dakota University System planned to officially submit this August to the Office of Management and Budget includes 4 percent pay increases for both years of the upcoming biennium for university system employees.

The NDUS proposal also excludes 10 percent budget cuts recommended by Gov. Doug Burgum.

Tammy Dolan, vice chancellor for administrative affairs and chief financial officer for NDUS, said the proposed pay increases alone would amount to $62.9 million.

“The vote of the State Board of Higher Education at its June 28 meeting to support a multifaceted and complex ‘three-bucket plan’ is obviously only the first step in a long process that will culminate with the Legislative Assembly,” said Dr. Deborah Dragseth, president of the Council of College Faculties and North Dakota United member.

Money for the 4 percent raises would come from three areas, including $22.7 million from the general fund, $19.9 million from tuition increases, and $20.3 million from other funds. Dolan said “other funds” include grants and auxiliary services like room and board. The tuition increases would be between 1.5 percent to 2.9 percent annually, according to NDUS. Dr. Dragseth noted that the 2017 Legislative Assembly did not provide funding for general salary or equity increases for the 201719 biennium and the State Board of Higher Education prohibited those types of increases in FY18.

State Board of Higher Education member Nick Hacker says the university system is down over 600 positions and that strategic plans are in jeopardy if cuts continue. “We’re about as skinny as we can get right now,” Hacker said. “We’re starting to lose our best ndunited.org

and brightest, and so with the number of years that have gone by without a pay increase we said we’ve got to get a pay increase to these folks. Otherwise we’re going to continue to lose our best and brightest faculty and staff, and so that’s where the 4 percent and 4 percent came from.”

Hacker said SBHE members started to look institution by institution and found if more cuts are made they’ll come at the expense of critical need programs, which include workforce training type programs. “We have to do the best we can to deliver teachers and nurses. I mean, we have shortages in all of those areas, and even those types of programs would be at risk,” he said.

Hacker doesn’t expect much pushback on the proposed tuition increases and auxiliary fund increases to help fund the proposed pay raises.

“It’s all very reasonable in the way that the money breaks down.

We can achieve just from the cost of higher education increases based on the cost of doing business we think we can achieve a 2 or 3 percent tuition increase. We’ve been able to achieve that even last biennium most of the institutions implemented about a 4 percent increase so we’re pretty confident that the 2 to 3 percent won’t be an issue,” Hacker said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dragseth realizes there is a long road ahead to approving the proposed raises during tight budget times.

“We are grateful that the State Board of Higher Education has recently identified and is supporting general salary increases for the North Dakota University System employees. I think everyone recognizes that the need to attain and retain the best employees is critical to the success of higher education in North Dakota,” Dragseth said.

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SHADOW STRUGGLES

Custodial staff at UND face an uncertain future every night at work

By Kelly Hagen NDU Communications

It’s 11 p.m. on a weekday, and while many North Dakotans are just going to bed to prepare for another day of hard work, Amanda Filipy is just starting hers. She is the building services supervisor at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and regularly works overnight. While the campus is quiet, Filipy and her crew of custodians are keeping facilities spotless.

“Normally when I start the night,” Filipy said, “I check in with my crew to make sure everyone’s here, checking out and see if we have any work orders that they need to deal with throughout the night.

And then, depending on if we have people out, I’ll be covering areas with my lead or else I’ll go around and do a comeback, do paperwork, timecards. And then go around checking to see what my employees need. If they need help with projects or whatnot.”

She supervises crews in nine buildings at UND. “I’m in charge of Harrington, Upson II, Upson I, CEC, Leonard, Starcher, Hyslop, the Core Library and the Steam Plant,” she said. “I’m in charge of the crews that clean all of those, plus I’m in charge of the carpet crew that cleans all the carpets all over campus, and the carpet crew is three guys.”

Filipy is fiercely loyal to her crew and worries about their future at UND. There are rumors circling on campus that administration is considering a plan to privatize custodial functions in all the academic buildings, to save on costs. The state Legislature has already made severe budget cuts to higher education in the 2017 session, and the Governor’s budget plan for the next biennium calls for a cut of more than $50 million in state appropriation funds. If the Legislature approves of that plan, higher education appropriations will have been cut by a full one-third in just four years. And that will mean hard-working public employees, like Filipy and her co-workers,

University of North Dakota building services supervisor Amanda Filipy.

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ND United Voices

might lose their jobs, at a time that they can hardly afford to.

“I mean, I work three jobs,” Filipy said. “And I’m one of the higher paid within facilities because of my title. Still, I’m a single mom and trying to make ends meet. It’s rough. Even my lead, who has been here for 20 years, he’s working two full-time jobs. At one of my other jobs, one of the ladies who works for me, she’s working three jobs.”

They have managed to make things work for them, though, and Filipy said that her employees are dedicated to UND and the community they serve. “I have got a couple people on my crew that are second-generation UND employees or third-generation,” Filipy said. “Some of them have a lot of years invested in here, not only themselves but their fathers and mothers. You don’t find that very many places.”

First founded in 1883, UND is the state’s oldest longest-operating post-secondary institution. It is a cornerstone to Grand Forks’ economy, as one of the city’s top employers and the place that attracts talented young minds to this city and our state, and prepares them to lead their North Dakota communities in the future. As UND goes, so goes Grand Forks. And so it’s important to see the university operating at full strength, and not struggling to retain high-quality employees.

“That’s become something of an issue that’s just popped up in the last couple months of them thinking of outsourcing academic custodial, having a private company come in and do what we do,” Filipy said. “We have been told that we are given a year to try to see how things go. But it’s now become public knowledge because it actually just came up on the Staff Senate website where they answered a question about it. They said that they had looked into it and they’re still not sure what they’re going to do. It would be 150 positions, I believe, that would be eliminated if they did outsource.”

that “there were 3-4 national custodial services companies that would be willing to start up operations in Grand Forks, ND.” The quality of services claim is certainly debatable, but Filipy points out another feature of their current workforce that can’t be replaced easily: trust.

“I was talking to my sister, who lives in Colorado, Filipy said.

“She said (at her workplace) they won’t let outsourced people come in and clean out there because of privacy issues. That’s the same thing with us. We have to go through a background check to be employed here. Who knows who’s going to be cleaning the buildings? We have labs and multimillion dollar equipment in here; we have the simulators in aerospace. And then you’ve got the people who are working on patents. What happens if somebody comes in that office and sees it and says, ‘I can take this’?”

Filipy is a member of North Dakota United, and is doing what she can to convince her co-workers to organize and fight for their positions. “We need somebody who’s going to be in our corner, to understand what we’re going through.” She said she wants to get the word out to faculty and staff at UND that their co-workers and fellow union members are facing some pretty severe obstacles, and they need to stand strong, together.

“I know one lady, she’s the only income in her house because her husband is disabled and they’re living, a family of four, on her income. That’s really rough. It’s hard. So like I said, we need somebody who was going to be there and could fight for us.”

From the June 2018 Suggestion Box page on the UND Staff Senate website (https://www1.und.edu/staff-senate/ suggestion-box.cfm), this question was asked: “It has come to my attention that Facilities is looking to outsource the custodial duties on campus. Do we know the impact this will have on the Departmental costs as well as the over 200 employees who will no longer have jobs? I find this rather upsetting to see fellow Staff members lose their livelihood.”

Mike Pieper, associate vice president of facilities, answered the question by affirming that he had asked CORE Management Services to “help determine if it would be more financially beneficial to outsource UND’s custodial services and if there was any private company willing to start up operations in Grand Forks, ND.” He stated that he had received a verbal assessment that it was “probable” that UND could outsource non-housing custodial services and achieve the same quality level for a lower cost, and ndunited.org

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SKY’S THE LIMIT

Bismarck instructor teaches high school students how to fly airplanes

By Tom Gerhardt NDU Communications

Brad Stangeland’s eyes are calmly focused on the sky above Mandan Municipal Airport.

Arms crossed, he’s waiting for one of his high school pilots, flying solo, to sweep in from the north, attempting another practice landing and take-off.

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It’s just a rush. It’s kind of like being in the clouds is one of my favorite parts.

There’s nothing like it, you know, being up high and just looking at everything. It’s so beautiful, it’s just amazing.”

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It’s been a whirlwind year for Stangeland, a Bismarck Public School aviation teacher at the Career Academy. Last summer he was approached by a local family to help their son get his private pilot’s license. Stangeland agreed and a couple of months later Nevin Fetzer achieved his goal. Local media picked up the story and that’s when the program literally took off.

Visit www.ndunited.org/news for a video story on Brad Stageland’s aviation class.

One of those stories caught the attention of longtime pilot and local OBGYN Dr. Bob Scarlett. He was so impressed, he called Stangeland and agreed to donate the use of his Cessna 150. The cost of aircraft rental had been a major roadblock preventing aspiring young pilots from getting real air time, and suddenly the aviation program had one at its disposal. By November 2017 the plane was in place, and since that time three more high school students have earned their private pilots licenses while seven more have flown solo with three more soon to join the ranks.

ND United Voices

“I think we’re on a roll. I just can’t believe how much this thing exploded in one year,” Stangeland said. “This is not your standard classroom experience to talk about lecture and theory and trying to find ways to come up with projects to apply the knowledge, this is actually real-life flying. It’s the same type of certification, the same type of training any pilot has to go through.”

Stangeland says he sees a lot of himself in these young aviators, including the pure joy he finds in flying.

Around 60 students are enrolled in the aviation program this fall at the Bismarck Career Academy. Many are 15 or 16 years old – sophomores and juniors in high school.

“When they actually, especially when I teach them how to land it’s like they finally get it and they’re doing an awesome job and they can duplicate results over and over and over and then you start throwing scenarios at them for like emergencies and make them think outside the box and all this other stuff and they just thrive on it that’s a huge, huge proud moment for me,” Stangeland said.

Hagerott puts it best.

“They have to be at least 16 to go by themselves, to go solo is what we call it, and they have to be at least 17 to get an actual license, which is the private pilot’s license, which is what we’re training for,” Stangeland said.

“It’s just a rush. It’s kind of like being in the the clouds is one of my favorite parts. There’s nothing like it, you know, being up high and just looking at everything. It’s so beautiful, it’s just amazing,” said Hagerott.

The list of students includes Braxton Glatt, who says the opportunity to fly was too good to pass up.

“Now there are lots of kids with the opportunity to get their private pilot’s license before they’re out of high school which is amazing for future career opportunities,” Glatt said.

Braxton’s mother, Corinna Glatt, says she was nervous about her son flying at first, especially because Braxton was flying before he even had a more common license “My son has been in this aviation program for a while. He started last year, and then this year they have the actual opportunity to fly the airplane. He doesn’t have his driver’s license yet --actually he’s getting it in two weeks--and it’s great that he can be in the airplane flying even before he can drive.”

Gabe Hagerott is another young pilot who’s already flown solo and is working toward his pilot’s license. He’s grateful for Stangeland’s guidance and the program.

“Most people say if they didn’t have the Career Academy, they would have to go to, say, UND or another college out of state to start the flight training process. And that’s college, not high school, so we get about a two-year jump on them,” Hagerott said.

A Robert and Lois Watts grant, provided through the Bismarck Public Schools Foundation, helps fund the aviation program.

Bob was well known in aviation, managing Capital Aviation in Bismarck. Lois taught Home Economics in Bismarck Public Schools for 24 years.

Stangeland, a Bismarck Education Association and North Dakota United member, is in his fourth year with Bismarck Public Schools. He says the aviation program saves the kids a lot of money and more importantly allows them to explore their interests and passions. ndunited.org

Bismarck Career Academy aviation teacher Brad Stangeland.

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WILL YOU BE A LEADER?

ND United will be holding elections for officers in 2019

WE NT A W U O Y

The NDU offices of President, Vice President of Education, Vice President of Public Employees and NEA Director are up for election in 2019. The elections will be held at the 2019 NDU Regional Assemblies, which have been scheduled for the East on April 6, 2019, in Fargo and for the West on April 13, 2019, in Bismarck.

Nick Archuleta, NDU President; Karen Christensen, Vice President of Education; and Gary Feist, Vice President of Public Employees, are all eligible to run for another three-year term. National Education Association (NEA) Director Karen Askerooth has completed two terms and is not eligible to run again.

NEA Representative Assembly (RA) delegates for North Dakota will also be elected at the 2019 Regional Assemblies. The 2019 NEA RA will be held in Houston, Texas, on July 2-5, 2019. North Dakota is allowed 15 delegates, but current Board members are eligible to attend and those choosing to attend will be subtracted from the 15 prior to the election. The number of delegate positions open will be announced in January.

If you are interested in running for any of these positions, you must file a nominating petition signed by 50 active members in good standing by Feb. 15, 2019.

Request a petition for office or RA Delegate by contacting Ellie Sharbono at ellie.sharbono@ndunited.org.

The retired and student officers are elected by their constituencies.

The slots open on the NDU-Retired Advisory Board are: • Vice President • NE Member • SE Member • SW Member Candidates for NDU-Retired offices must notify NDU by March 15, 2019, of their intent to run for office. If you are interested in running for one of these positions, please contact Sarah Keiser Johnson at 701-223-0450 or sarah.johnson@ndunited.org.

Student-NDU officer positions will be elected at the SNDU Welcome Weekend in Bismarck on Sept. 15, 2018. An “intent to run” form has been sent to all chapter advisors and shared on social media.

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ND United Voices

UPCOMING NDU

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES North Dakota United is proud to announce the following Professional Development opportunities for Fall 2018.

Thanks to the Great Public Schools Grant from the National Education Association, all professional development courses are discounted for North Dakota United members through June 1, 2019. To register, please visit www.ndunited.org and click on Events.

MINDFUL YOU, MINDFUL ME PART 1: This course focuses on self-care as an essential part of the work of teachers and school support staff. The Mindfulness training includes tools to reduce stress, frustration and burnout by combining movement, breath work, mindful awareness and deep-relaxation techniques. This is a blended-learning course using in-person sessions, online work and a book study.

Member cost: $65 (no credit), $100 (1 credit) Non-member cost: $125 (no credit), $250 (1 credit) Student Member cost: $0 (no credit) Available for 1 graduate credit through the University of North Dakota Course dates: Bismarck: Sept. 12-Oct. 24 Dickinson: Sept. 29 Fargo: Nov. 17

Grand Forks: Sept. 15 Williston: Oct. 13

EDUCATOR ETHICS: This course reviews ethics as defined by the ND Educational Standards and Practices Board. Participants examine various ethical situations along with actual cases that the Board has addressed including: technology do’s and don’ts; contracts and resignations; relationships with students, parents and colleagues; and the dichotomy of a school employee’s life. It includes decision-making methodologies and is a highly interactive course.

Member cost: $65 (no credit), $100 (1 credit), or $200 (2 credits) Non-member cost: $125 (no credit), $250 (1 credit), or $500 (2 credits) Student-NDU member cost: $0 (no credit) Available for 1 or 2 graduate credits through the University of North Dakota Course dates: Bismarck/Mandan: Nov. 30-Dec. 1 Dickinson: Oct. 26-27 Fargo: Dec. 7-8 Grand Forks: Oct. 5-6 ndunited.org

Hazen: Sept. 21-22 Minot: Oct. 5-6 Wahpeton: Oct. 26-27 Williston: Sept. 21-22

ONLINE BOOK STUDIES: Member cost: $65 (no credit), $100 (1 credit) Non-member cost: $125 (no credit), $250 (1 credit) Student-NDU member cost: $0 (no credit) Available for 1 graduate credit through the University of North Dakota Course dates: “What Schools Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America” by Ted Dintersmith: Sept. 15-Oct. 15 “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook—What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us about Loss, Love, and Healing” by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz: Sept. 15-Oct. 15 “Leading Schools in Disruptive Times: How to Survive Hyper-Change” by Dwight L. Carter and Mike E. White: Oct. 15-Nov. 15 “Collective Efficacy: How Educators’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning” by Jenni Donohoo: Nov. 15-Dec. 15 NEA MICRO-CREDENTIALS: NEA now offers more than 100 micro-credentials for educators, created by educators and reviewed by educators.

Micro-credentials offer on-demand personalized learning experiences for educators. The learning happens anywhere, anytime. By offering an entire ecosystem of over 100 microcredentials, empowered educators are given an opportunity to learn and be recognized for skills and knowledge targeted to support successful students.

Current NEA Micro-Credential stacks include: · Bully and Sexual Harassment Prevention · I Can Do it-Classroom Management · ESSA-Opportunity and Voice · Working with English Language Learners · Cooperating Teacher · Early Career Educator (InTASC) · Creating Safe School Spaces for LGBTQ Students · National Board Five Core Propositions · Teacher Leadership Institute Pathway Competencies Member cost: $75 (1 credit) Non-member cost: $250 (1 credit) Available for 1 graduate credit through the University of North Dakota 27

2018 NDU FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIP & GRANT WINNERS The NDU Foundation is proud to present scholarships, special awards and grants to our North Dakota United members, including Student NDU and NDU-Retired members, as well as the dependents of all members, for the continued development of their professional skills and knowledge.

Ron & Ann Anstrom Scholarship:

• Kelly Entzel, Grand Forks, is a fifth-year English teacher currently teaching at Community Alternative High School in Grand Forks. Entzel is an active member of Grand Forks Education Association and NDU. Entzel is currently enrolled at Valley City State University, where she is earning her master’s degree in the Education program with an emphasis in Library, Information and Technology (LIT).

• Dana Kitchen, Bottineau, graduated in 2007 from Valley City State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Education. Kitchen currently teaches at Bottineau School District, where she teaches three different English classes. Kitchen is an active member of the Bottineau NDU local where she has served as vice president and president.

NDU Foundation Ethnic Minority Scholarship:

• Alexandria Alvarez, Bismarck, is currently attending United Tribes Technical College where she is earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in science. Alvarez was on the President’s List her freshman year at UTTC and Vice President’s List her sophomore year. Alvarez is active in the Education Club at UTTC and is currently serving as president.

Cindy and Gary Rath Education Scholarship:

• Kirsten Aafedt, Grand Forks, is currently attending the University of North Dakota where she will complete her degree in December 2018. She will have a double major in Elementary and Middle Level Education with a concentration in math and science. During her freshman year of college, Aafedt volunteered in a fourth-grade classroom and realized her passion of becoming a teacher.

Horace Mann ND Agents Graduate Education Scholarship: • Connie Schlittenhardt, Valley City, first graduated from Valley City State University in 1991 with a degree in Elementary Education. In 2014, Schlittenhardt earned her Reading and Math Title 1 endorsements from VCSU. Schlittenhardt is ready to tackle yet another degree and earn her master’s degree from the University of Jamestown.

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• Amanda Weston Caillier, Grand Forks, graduated in 2013 from North Dakota State University with a Master of Science in School Counseling. Weston is active in the Grand Forks Education Association and has worked in both rural and urban communities during her time as a counselor. The scholarship will enable her to serve as an intern this summer at Community Violence and Intervention Center, where she will receive mentoring on how to work with adolescents that have gone through trauma and adverse childhood experiences.

ND United Voices

NDU Member/Dependent Scholarships:

• Jamison Feske, Fargo, is attending North Dakota State University, where he will be graduating with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Spanish. At NDSU, Feske was on the Dean’s List during the fall of 2017. Feske’s proudest achievement is earning his Eagle Scout rank after 10 years of Boy Scouts.

• Andrew Holen, Bismarck, graduated from Century High School as valedictorian and now attends Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

He has received the Presidential Distinction Award, along with a music scholarship from Concordia College. Holen also participates on Concordia’s varsity basketball team and plays trombone in the band.

• Reed Jacobson, Fargo, is attending North Dakota State University, where he will graduate with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. Jacobson has always had an interest in science and the wildlife around him, and has used that interest to pursue a career path that fits his goals. Jacobson is currently on the Dean’s List at NDSU.

• Wesley Kemp, Cavalier, is currently attending the University of Jamestown and will be majoring in accounting. Kemp was active in his high school and community by participating in 4H club, National Honor Society and the ND Academic All-State team. Kemp has competed at the Northeast North Dakota Regional Science Fair and has also competed nationally at the Future Business Leaders of America, where he placed sixth.

NDU Education Scholarships:

• Kirsten Aafedt, Grand Forks

• Alexandria Alvarez, Bismarck

• Margaret Brink, Bismarck, is attending NDSU, where she is majoring in Vocal Music Education.

She attended Century High School, where she was in National Honor Society, won the Presidential Academic Award and graduated with academic honors. She was also in the Sleepy Hollow Summer Theater for five years.

• Abigail Hintz, Hannover, graduated from Center-Stanton High School and now attends the University of Mary where she will major in Special and Elementary Education. In high school, Hintz was active in 4H, FFA and Adopt a Classroom Program.

• Tiffany Towne, Bismarck, is currently majoring in Elementary Education at Mayville State University.

This degree will be Towne’s second degree. Towne closely worked with kids who lived in low-income families, and she felt the responsibility to continue the path of helping kids by getting her second degree in Elementary Education.

Joseph A. Westby Leadership Award:

• Dr. Holly Pederson, Minot, currently is an associate professor of special education at Minot State University.

Pederson has conducted research pertaining to children with hearing loss, and because of this research, has been accepted to attend the Family Centered Early Intervention Biannual Congress held in Austria. Pederson will be presenting her research in June 2018 and will return with knowledge on cutting-edge practices.

NDU Workplace Innovation Grant:

• Julie Kautzman, Mandan, and several other teachers from Custer Elementary School will be able to give students a hands-on opportunity with relevant, engaging, real-world experiences.

Lego WeDo design kits allow students to learn by asking questions and thinking in a creative way to problem-solve.

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• Robert Lukens, Northwood, applied on behalf of Northwood Elementary School, which currently has no art budget because of the small school size. The grant will assist purchasing art supplies such as paints, clay, markers and canvases. Art classes are taught by volunteer Nicole Rasmussen.

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Coverage you can depend on for the ones you love.

As an eligible NEA member,* you’ve got the protection of NEA Complimentary Life Insurance, issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America — but you should name a beneficiary to make sure your loved ones are covered. Then visit neamb.com/life to learn about all the solutions available to help meet your insurance needs.

Go to neamb.com/free-tote and register your beneficiary to get this FREE tote.

Or call 1-855-NEA-LIFE (632-5433) and mention offer code: TOTEBAG

FREE

* Visit us online or call for eligibility requirements.

NEA Members Insurance Trust is a registered trademark of the NEA Members Insurance Trust.

NEA Complimentary Life Insurance is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ. 0302614-00002-00

DT370918

NDU-Retired

CAN WE COUNT ON YOU?

Every member of our association counts toward achieving our goals Can we count on you? North Dakota United –Retired is excited to share with you an opportunity to make a difference in your life. NDU-R’s mission is to maintain and expand our participation in our profession after we have retired.

By Nancy Peterson NDU-Retired President

All professions depend on the strength of its membership. So with the start of fall, beginning and membership drives are being ramped up, we are asking you to reflect on what your association has done and continues to do for you.

Now we are asking you to reflect on what you can do to assist to create a meaningful and lasting impact in our communities and state. One thing is to join our association. Another is to find time to volunteer for one active issue within your association. Third, get out to vote in November and encourage all your family and friends to do the same. Vote for candidates who support public education and public employees.

Every one of you counts. Can we count on you?

YES, SIGN ME UP NOW IN NDU/NEA/AFT-RETIRED Complete and mail with your check today to NDU-Retired, 301 N 4th St, Bismarck, ND 58501-4020 Name: _________________________________________________________ Social Security Number: _______________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: _________________ Phone: _________________________________________ E-mail: ____________________________________________________ Local Association: _______________________ Signature: ___________________________________________Date: ____________ _______ I wish to join as Annual Retired and pay $61 per year. Mail this form and your check to NDU, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501-4020. (NDU membership year is from September 1 to August 31.) _______ I wish to pay a one-time payment of $466 for Lifetime Retired. _____ Expected Date of Retirement ___________ (month/year) _______ I wish to pay one payment of $66 and have 8 (eight) electronic transfers of $50 from my bank account for Lifetime Retired. ndunited.org

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ND United Voices