United Voices, Vol. 7 No. 1

UNITED VOICES

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NDU Stands for

YOU! Page 4

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Election 2020

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Pop Culture Professor

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something resembling normalcy, you’ll be receiving this print copy a little later than normal.

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OCTOBER 2020 L I C EDU UB C

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The takeoff of the 2020-21 school year has been especially turbulent, no doubt. The wave of COVID-19 infections has officially arrived in the state of North Dakota, crashing into all corners and communities, large and small, just as our public schools and universities are returning to in-person instruction, and we again find ourselves rebuilding the plane as it’s in flight.

A similar effect was felt during the production of the Fall 2020 issue of United Voices. In a normal year, the fall edition should arrive as educators are returning to work. That didn’t seem like the correct timing this year, though.

And so, in an effort to include stories that match the tone of what you all are feeling as we slowly find our way back to

Inside, you’ll find valuable information on your rights and responsibilities as a public worker during these times, with ND United legal counsel Mike Geiermann answering an assortment of the frequently asked questions we are receiving from members. We also have valuable tips and guidance for how to return to your workplace safely, plus we are shining a bright spotlight on the many values that come from being organized and unionized, both during this current pandemic and in less-chaotic times, too. Additionally, we are sharing all the information you need to know on how to make sure your vote counts during this important election season!

As always, thank YOU for being ND United!

Kelly Hagen, United Voices Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 4 6

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President’s Post NDU Stands for You Help Yourself to a Better Career Help Keep Our Schools Open

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Election 2020 ND University System Safe Reopening Higher Education Pop Culture Professor Education Perspectives

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On Loving, and Leaving, North Dakota Ask Your Attorney Upcoming NDU Events Public Employees Local Holding Elections

United Voices is the official publication of North Dakota United, 301 N 4th St, Bismarck, ND 58501 Contact Us: 701.223.0450 | comments@ndunited.org Postmaster, send address changes to: North Dakota United, 301 N 4th St, Bismarck, ND 58501 Kelly Hagen Director of Communications kelly.hagen@ndunited.org

Tom Gerhardt Director of Public Affairs tom.gerhardt@ndunited.org

Leah DeKrey Digital Director leah.dekrey@ndunited.org

Sarah Keiser Special Projects Coordinator sarah.johnson@ndunited.org

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Image Printing Design/Publisher

President’s Post

Rethink and Resolve

Together, we are making our voices heard in the fight against COVID-19 Some days over the course of these last six months, many of us would have liked to take social distancing to the extreme and get lost for a few days. Other times, we have wanted to gather our loved ones close and never let them go. To be sure, the tumultuous times in which we live have elicited a wide range of emotions and reactions.

And no wonder! Our lives and routines have been upended, and we have had to adjust, often on the fly, to changes in just about every aspect of our lives.

The onset of the pandemic forced us to rethink how we interacted with our families, our friends, those with whom we work, and just as importantly, how we do our work.

Teachers, higher education faculty and their professional support staffs had to develop and implement distancelearning protocols and practices that allowed students to continue their academic plans uninterrupted. Noneducation public employees had to develop practices from home that allowed them to continue to provide the vital services that North Dakotans deserve and have come to rely upon.

None of these shifts were easy, but our members undertook the effort with great resolve and were quite successful in achieving their goals.

Through it all, our members could depend on their union, North Dakota

By Nick Archuleta NDU President

United, to be with them every step of the way. We represented our members’ interests in important meetings with Governor Doug Burgum’s team, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Chancellor of the ND University system, the ND State Board of Higher Education, and with school administrators and school board members. In these meetings we were able to clearly express the concerns of our members as well as report on the progress and importance of their work.

And when it was necessary, we worked with our members to organize meetings between them and those whose decisions impact their work lives.

To be sure, we are nowhere near the end of the travails we have endured these several months. Until there is a vaccine for the Coronavirus, our work lives will continue to evolve, and our communities will continue to need the services we provide remotely or otherwise. Your union will continue to be here for you, as well. We will be your voice wherever your voice needs to be heard. I can assure you that in the difficult days ahead, we will not rest in our efforts to advocate for you.

Finally, we hear often in North Dakota from those opposed to mask-wearing about their rights. And that’s fine, I guess, but I prefer to focus on our obligations to each other. #MaskUpND ndunited.org

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NDU Stands for You

Today’s lesson is all about how joining your union helps protect you from threats like COVID-19

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

There’s been a lot of talk about PPE lately. What is that? What does PPE stand for?

PPE is the abbreviation for Personal Protection Equipment. In cooler, calmer and more casual terms, it is equipment that us humans can personally wear over parts of our human bodies to protect us from external threats.

We’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the best advice any of us have gotten for personally protecting ourselves from catching this novel coronavirus, is to cover our mouths and noses. COVID-19 is, most likely, transmitted most efficiently through airborne particles, so if you limit the amount of these particles you breathe into your human form, you can — in theory — reduce the risk that you catch this virus. Face masks work well for that purpose, I’m told. More on that later in this exciting, new edition of United Voices magazine.

OK, next question. What’s the abbreviation for the thing we use to protect a whole bunch of persons (or people, if you want to get all grammatical) from external threats? Is it GPE — Group Protection Equipment?

No, it’s NDU. That’s short for North Dakota United.

Let’s talk about that. North Dakota United (or ND United, or NDU, 4

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whatever strikes your fancy) is the state’s predominant association of public employees and educators. With 11,500 members (and growing!), our union is the state’s largest, loudest, most effective voice for quality public education and public services. Period. End of sentence.

What makes NDU that large, that loud, that effective? That’s simple. It’s you.

Every person who receives this magazine is North Dakota United. There’s a meme going around social media that says: “Workers don’t join their union. They are their union.” NDU is not a thing that you join. It’s you.

NDU stands for you.

That concludes today’s lesson. Now, we move onto the exercise. I’ve included two sample answers, for your reference. Write out your answer in your workbooks, at home, and when you’re done, please take a picture of your answer and send it to me by e-mail to kelly.hagen@ndunited.org. Or you can drag a picture of a check mark on top of a picture of an empty square, either electronically, on a sheet of paper or just do this in your mind. I’m not actually a teacher, so I can’t offer you any credit.

NO CREDIT.

P P

(Sample answer #1)

What does NDU stand for?

NDU stands for Melissa Bucchop.

Melissa is a fourth-grade teacher in Grand Forks. She is the current President of the Grand Forks Education Association (GFEA), our local affiliate of NDU for employees of the Grand Forks Public Schools district, and has previously served as vice president and negotiator for GFEA. “When I got my teaching job, I had friends who said, ‘You should do this, you should be more active, you should be a part of this.’ And I was like, ‘No, no, I don’t have time for that.’ Then a few years ago, I was asked to be a part of negotiations. And I actually really enjoyed being a part of that. So from there on, I ended up getting more involved.

“I think one of the big things is that we have a voice and that we get to sit at the table for negotiations and we get to bring things forward. Together, we get to say the things that the teachers want or need or that would be helpful to retain our teachers in our town. And we actually get to sit down and voice those issues and work it out with the school board.”

“And then especially now with COVID, we very much have been in the loop and asking teachers. There’s even been situations that have come up before the school year started when they were looking at some of our teachers, especially within special ed, having to teach digital and in-person because of caseloads. And before they made that decision, H.R. reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, can you have a meeting with me and the special ed director so that we can talk through how we can make this work. So it’s very much moving in the right direction right now. I think in Grand Forks there is open communication and we definitely are being heard.”

(Sample answer #2)

What does NDU stand for?

NDU stands for Jessica Hawkes.

Jessica is assistant to the Eddy County State’s Attorney in New Rockford. She started in January 2019, and also joined both NDU and North Dakota Public Employees (NDPE), our statewide local affiliate for employees of the state, counties and municipalities, as well as most of our public universities.

“For me, I was honored to finally have the opportunity to join a union, and I did so immediately upon starting this job. It feels like a team pulling for all of our interests, not just a few of us individually trying to be heard. Even the topics that don’t pertain to me directly I like to know that my voice also stands with the people it matters to.”

“Having worked in the school system previously as a business manager, I was familiar with the NDEA (North Dakota Education Association) side of the unions.

My parents were both teachers and NDEA union members while I was growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, and I remember them discussing contract negotiations and other union matters at home.”

“I often see NDU in the news and on social media, making statements, discussing legislation, and acting on our behalf. I also am aware of the legal tools and other membership benefits available to me, and I would recommend to others that they take an honest, open look at what NDU has to offer. Moreover, North Dakota workers should stand together and demand more equitable treatment and a better quality of life, for each other, and for ourselves. The union is the voice to do it.”

Help Yourself to a Better Career

New educator campaign in second year of teaching all the benefits of membership

By Tom Gerhardt, NDU Communications

New educators, we want you to know how much we value and respect the career choice you have made entering schools and classrooms around North Dakota. We know it’s not easy, especially now, so thank you for choosing to help educate our students!

As new educators, we know you face challenges and opportunities every day. At North Dakota United, we want to help you “Help Yourself ” to a better career. Our “Help Yourself ” campaign is in its second year. Educators in their first five years of working will be seeing these ads online and on their social media feeds.

We hope you’ll take notice of the photos. Educators are rock stars of sorts, so we had a lot of fun with our photo shoots featuring veteran members from New Town, Bismarck, Minot and West Fargo.

Each picked a favorite food for the shoot which helped us have a lot of fun with the photos. You’ll see them on multiple social media platforms, our website and in United Voices.

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“At first, I was nervous to be in front of the cameras, but it turns out that I had a blast doing the photo shoot. Especially with the watermelon and the (fan) leaf blower. Staff made me feel comfortable and it was a new experience that made me more connected to ND United.

Especially in times like this I am grateful to have NDU fighting for me. It’s good to know you belong to something “bigger” that will always be there for you ...as well as meet others along the way with the same passion.”

Renae Wimer/Eastwood Elementary School, West Fargo

Our goal is to help introduce new educators to North Dakota United and to help them learn more about us. Membership in North Dakota United helps provide mentor and peer connections, professional development opportunities, expert assistance, scholarships and grants, and advocates fighting for your profession at the capitol in Bismarck.

We hope you’ve already joined North Dakota United, but if not, please consider joining us and “Help Yourself ” to a better career.

“My husband (a high school math teacher) and I (a middle school world geography teacher) are both proud members of North Dakota United. We feel very lucky to have an amazing organization stand behind us and in front of us every step of our careers, from our classroom support to fighting for us in the legislature. I had the opportunity to have a little fun with NDU this summer with a unique photo shoot and video interview and it reminded me how much North Dakota United means to us!”

Kristi Reinke/Jim Hill Middle School, Minot, 2021 ND Teacher of the Year ndunited.org

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Help Keep Our Schools Open The Science Behind Wearing a Mask

By Leah DeKrey, NDU Communications

No one likes the feeling of a square piece of fabric blocking their airway.

However, the small discomfort of wearing a mask has been shown to drastically protect individuals from the spread of COVID. The health and safety of North Dakota’s teachers, faculty, staff, and students, as well as the ability to keep our schools and campuses open, hinges on everyone doing their part by wearing a mask.

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

WEARING A MASK WEARING A MASK

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

If 95% of people wear cloth masks when they're interacting with other people, it reduces transmission by at If 95% of people wear cloth masks when they're least 30%. interacting with other people, it reduces transmission by at

Infections without masks Infections without each infected person passes masks on the virus to 1.03 others.

least 30%.

each infected person passes

Infections with 95% mask wearing Infections with 95% mask each infected person passes wearing on the virus to 0.72 others. each infected person passes

on the virus to 1.03 others.

on the virus to 0.72 others.

Start: 10 infections

Start: 10 infections New infections: 5 days later

There’s a lot of research available that proves how masks work to decrease the spread of the COVID, which according to the CDC is now the third leading cause of death in 2020, surpassing accidents, injuries and diabetes.i

New infections: 5 days later New infections: 10 days later New infections: 10 days later New infections: 15 days later New infections: 15 days later New infections: 20 days later New infections: 20 days later New infections: 25 days later

Here’s What We Know A recent meta-analysis done by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation took every study published on the protective effect of masks and reanalyzed all the data.

The analysis found that if 95% of people wear cloth masks when they’re in public spaces, it reduces transmission by at least 30%. This sounds like a modest improvement, but when each COVID positive individual infects 30% fewer people, the results add up quickly.ii The cumulative impact a 30% decrease can have on our school and university systems would be 8

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New infections: 25 days later New infections: 30 days later New infections: 30 days later New infections: 35 days later New infections: 35 days later

MODEST, WIDESPREAD PROTECTION ADDS UP FAST MODEST, WIDESPREAD PROTECTION ADDS UP FAST

Total new infections after 35 days: Total new infections after 35 days:

89 89

Total new infections after 35 days: Total new infections after 35 days:

33 33

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/23/894425483/can-masks-save-us-from-more-lockdowns-heres-what-the-science-says

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/23/894425483/can-masks-save-us-from-more-lockdowns-heres-what-the-science-says

massive. Let’s compare two scenarios in an educational setting to see how.

In the first school, no one is wearing a mask and each infected person is passing the virus to 1.03 others.

100 infected students and teachers will infect 103 others. Those 103 will infect 106 others, who then infect 109, etc.

Within 35 days, 889 people will likely have contracted the virus.

On the second campus, 95% of students and teachers are wearing masks. Instead of infecting 1.03 others, each infected student or teacher passes the virus on to only 0.72 others.

100 infected individuals infect 72 others.

These 72 infect 52 people and so on. By the seventh week of school, only 10 new people are infected, and 332 people have contracted the virus altogether.

Further Evidence in Support of Masks Despite everyone’s best efforts, classrooms and campuses are inherently difficult settings to practice things like social distancing. Each age group presents unique challenges from a COVID prevention standpoint.

However, there are many case studies that have recently been done that may give us hope and convince us to wear masks both in classrooms and on campuses.

A recent article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal studied a man who flew from China to Toronto while exhibiting COVID symptoms including a dry cough.iii He wore a mask through the duration of the flight and, despite his symptoms, all 25 people closest to him on the flight tested negative for COVID.

Similarly, in late May, a Missouri hair stylist worked eight shifts over nine days despite showing COVID symptoms. She later tested positive for the virus, but not before she directly exposed 84 customers who had been near her. But because both the hair stylist and customers wore face masks, none of those who had been in contact with her reported a positive case.iv

What About Personal Choice?

Mask wearing has sparked intense political debates with many individuals opting not to wear masks in the name of personal freedom and choice.

However, it’s not unusual for public schools to regularly impose limits on a student’s personal choices in the form of dress codes, etc. Wearing a baseball cap is commonly forbidden in K-12 schools, for example, yet no one is put in harm’s way if a student dons a hat. By contrast, wearing a mask can help save lives and get our communities back to a state of normalcy.

That’s why North Dakota United implores our teachers, faculty, staff, students and parents to please wear masks whenever they enter into indoor public spaces — not because of any political stance, but rather because we want to keep our communities safe by decreasing the spread of COVID. That way we can get back to things like sporting events, afterschool activities, and in-person classes.

It’s important that we all take a pledge to protect each other by wearing a mask every time we are inside, especially if we hope to keep our schools and campuses open — which is a goal we should all be able to get behind.

i: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/512427-covid-19-now-no-3-cause-of-death-in-us ii: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/23/894425483/can-masks-save-us-from-more-lockdowns-heres-what-the-science-says iii: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/192/15/E410 iv: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/17/masks-salons-missouri/

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2020 Voting Resources for the 2020 Election It’s not about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about quality public schools for our kids and quality public service for our communities. That’s why elections matter.

We know our members have a whole spectrum of political beliefs. We also know how important elections are to our professions as elected officials determine budgets and pass laws that can help or hinder our ability to do our jobs well.

As public professionals, you play a vital role in shaping and influencing policies affecting your practice and expertise. Every decision made affecting classrooms in K-12 schools and universities, and in public services, is at some level a political decision.

For the 2020 election, the members of the United Political Action Committee have decided not to endorse candidates.

We have still asked candidates to complete questionnaires, and we have interviewed candidates in several races.

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us to respect the intelligence of our members by providing you with the candidates’ statements and voting records in order to inform your decision on election day. Historically, as a union, we have used several processes to endorse candidates for public office.

Throughout our years of endorsement, we have faced claims from members in each political party of favoritism for a particular party.

We have also seen waning influence with endorsed elected officials after taking political heat internally. While endorsing candidates is certainly the norm among our brothers and sisters in the labor movement, many membership organizations and associations do not endorse candidates directly but continue to make political contributions to allies and key decision makers.

If you would like to discuss any candidate or have questions about our United Political Action Committee, please contact Executive Director Chad Oban or Assistant Executive Director Ryan Nagle at 701-223-0450 at any time.

STATE SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATE INFORMATION While there are many key legislative races across the state and we will be sending mail with candidate comparisons in a number of key districts, we wanted to be sure to communicate with all members on the State Superintendent of Public Instruction race. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees the education of more than 121,000 students in nearly

500 buildings across the state. The State Superintendent also serves on boards such as the Education Standards & Practices Board, the Career & Technical Education Board, the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement board, and the Board of University and School Lands, which manages state land holdings and oversees a $4.2 billion trust fund that benefits North Dakota’s public schools.

Key points about each of the candidates:

— KIRSTEN BAESLER — (Incumbent)

— BRANDT DICK —

• Member of North Dakota United for decades

• According to Brandt, he had the opportunity and declined membership in a local education association*

• Has worked collaboratively with North Dakota United, its members, students and community members to improve education outcomes and respond to COVID-19

• Has stated he believes administrators ought to be the only group consulted about the use of federal education dollars without consulting stakeholders**

• Took no position on HB1347 that would have expanded teacher probationary periods to three years

• Supported HB1347 and expanding teacher probationary periods to three years

• Supports local control of public education

• Supports local control of public education * AFL-CIO Candidate Interview **Facebook post, 5/19/20 ndunited.org

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HOW TO VOTE IN 2020 North Dakota United members vote at a higher rate than the general public and that should make us all proud. Our engagement in the political process helps us ensure we all have the resources and supports we need to provide high quality public education and effective public service.

Even with the challenges of COVID-19, we expect turnout to be very high this election and encourage all of our members to vote.

Below is some basic information on a few different ways to cast your ballot this fall.

MAILING YOUR BALLOT: • Ballots must be in the return envelope provided and the return envelope must be signed by the voter.

• Ballot envelopes that are returned without a signature will not be processed.

• If voters are mailing ballots in, it must be postmarked by Nov. 2 or earlier. Voters should be careful if they mail the ballots on Nov. 2, make sure the Post Office postmarks them that day.

• If mailing your ballot, remember to affix the required first-class postage stamp to the envelope.

USING THE BALLOT DROP OFF BOX:

VOTE FROM HOME (ABSENTEE BALLOT) To vote safely from home in the November election, submit an absentee ballot application, if you have not already, to get your ballot mailed to your home. After receiving and completing your ballot, you can return by mail or drop it in a secure ballot drop box in your county.

Each county will have one secure ballot drop box; contact the county auditor regarding the location. All county drop boxes can be found here: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/ precincts.aspx?eid=313 Ballots can be deposited 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ballots returned via secure ballot box must be deposited by 5 p.m. on November 2, the day BEFORE Election Day.

INSTRUCTIONS: EASY AS 1-2-3

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Request your absentee ballot.

Complete the required applicant information and sign. https://vip.sos.nd.gov/ absentee/Default.aspx

Watch your mail for your ballot!

When it arrives, cast your vote.

Return your ballot.

Check that you’ve filled in all the boxes and signed the form. Put the form in the enclosed secrecy envelope, apply postage and mail it back or drop it off at your county’s ballot drop off box.

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EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING

ELECTION DAY — November 3 ­—

For complete information on what counties allow early voting, when to vote, and where to vote, please visit: https://vip. sos.nd.gov/precincts.aspx?eid=313

Election day polling locations: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/precincts. aspx?eid=313.

OCTOBER 19

Early in-person voting begins in Cass, Stark and Stutsman counties.

OCTOBER 21

Early in-person voting begins in Burleigh and Morton counties.

OCTOBER 22

Early in-person voting begins in Rolette county.

OCTOBER 26

Early in-person voting begins in Grand Forks, Mercer and Ward counties.

OCTOBER 31

Early in-person voting begins in Sioux county.

Please visit the Secretary of State’s website at: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/precincts. aspx?eid=313 for complete information. ndunited.org

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North Dakota University System Safe Reopening

By Sarah Keiser, NDU Communications

The North Dakota University System (NDUS) is a unified system of higher education governed by the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE). NDUS is comprised of 11 institutions across the state, as well as countless higher education members of North Dakota United.

As the NDUS campuses closed down in mid-March, your North Dakota United staff dived deep into the discussion of how and when to best reopen campuses this fall, ensuring the highest level of safety for students, staff, and the communities in which they live.

North Dakota United members respectfully asked the State Board of Higher Education to adopt the following principles for a safe reopening of campuses: 1. Faculty and staff must have a say in decisions regarding opening campuses and pandemic planning at every level: building, campus and system-wide.

2. Decisions must be based on prioritizing worker and student safety, and guided by sound science.

3. Strong, clear, and enforceable workplace health and safety standards must be in place.

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4. Workers must have stronger protections against retaliation to encourage the sharing of concerns and experiences.

5. There must be a massive increase in adequate levels and types of personal protective equipment, sanitizing materials, and spacing requirements in the classroom and public gathering places.

6. There must be a massive increase of rapid and reliable coronavirus testing.

7. There must be a system of recording, reporting, and tracking worker and student infections.

8. Campuses, in coordination with local and state public health departments, must trace the contacts of infected faculty, staff, and students and remove exposed workers from work with pay and without retaliation.

NDU President Nick Archuleta along with NDU organizers Liz Bjerke and Courtney Schaff worked diligently to ensure that our members’ voices were heard throughout the reopening discussion. On the next page you will find a timeline of all their efforts.

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Higher Education

By Tom Gerhardt, NDU Communications

North Dakota United loves to highlight our talented members whenever possible. That’s why this year we featured two of our higher ed members in our upcoming fall member drive campaign.

Darin Buri, UND’s College of Engineering and Mines, and Dr. Lydia

Tackett, NDSU’s Geology Department, graciously lent us their time to record two videos that will be used for various advertising purposes to attract new members to North Dakota United.

Here’s what they each said about their experience being featured in the campaign.

“I was happy to be a part of the North Dakota United video, because I think ND United does a lot for me as a state employee by keeping me informed about decisions that affect me at the statewide level, who is making those decisions, and how I can make my voice heard in those areas.”

- Dr. Lydia Tackett 16

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“I am honored to have been asked to represent my local in this video. Hopefully my participation in this effort will help put a face to our local here at UND. It doesn’t take a special kind of person to make a difference, you just need to be willing to stand up and speak out about what you believe in. I am proud to represent NDU and UND local #6942 and I hope others will see this video and join us.”

- Darin Buri ndunited.org

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Pop Culture Professor

NDU member teaching at NDSU highlights her lessons with references to ’80s films, Netflix series and Tom Petty songs

By Kelly Hagen, NDU Communications

Listen!

That’s how Tom Petty kicks off the first chorus of his 1980 chart-topping song, “Refugee.” And he continues, “It don’t really matter to me. You believe what you want to believe.”

According to one online quiz, if Dr. Melissa Vosen Callens was a Tom Petty song, it would be “Refugee.” And within an hour of communication with her deep beliefs and interests in areas of popular culture, as varied as the musical catalog of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to the roster of the 1991 World Series champion Minnesota Twins, it’s easy to see why. In the world of higher education, she is a “refugee” of a sub-culture of professors who use pop culture to color their instruction in

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subjects as varied as history, sociology, English and psychology.

“I think for most of us, we’re just immersed in pop culture very early,” Callens said. “One of the earliest memories I can think of with pop culture is going to sleepovers and renting ‘Dirty Dancing.’ We watched it, and then afterwards we were trying to reenact that final dance scene, sort of like fifth and sixth graders do.”

Callens dips into the deep reservoir of her lifetime fascination with American popular culture to assist her in teaching courses on media literacy, professional writing and online education at North Dakota State University. “I have always been interested in 1980s pop culture, so when [the hit streaming series] ‘Stranger

Callens dips into the deep reservoir of her lifetime fascination with American popular culture to assist her in teaching courses.

Things’ was released on Netflix, I was captivated,” she said. “The Duffer brothers, the series creators, did such a great job of capturing the feel of some of my favorite movies from the 1980s: ‘Stand by Me,’ ‘The Goonies’ and ‘The Breakfast Club,’ to name a few.”

These themes of nostalgia and cynicism inspired Callens to start writing her upcoming book, “Ode to Gen X: Institutional Cynicism in Stranger Things and 1980s Film,” which is set to be published in early 2021 through the University Press of Mississippi.

“What I noticed was that while ‘Stranger Things’ and these 1980s films are all tales of childhood friendship and shared adventures,” Callens said, “they are also narratives that reflect and

shape the burgeoning cynicism of the 1980s, namely Gen X’s growing distrust in institutions. My book explores how ‘Stranger Things’ draws on 1980s popular film to pay tribute to Gen X’s evolving outlook on three key American institutions: family, economy and government.”

Dr. Callens has spent her entire collegiate career at NDSU, first attaining a Bachelor of Science in English Ed there, and then earning a master’s degree in English and a PH.D. in rhetoric, writing and culture. “A fun fact is I’m the very first person to graduate from that program,” she said.

She took what she learned from her education at NDSU and applied it into a profession there, first as an academic advisor and then as a professor of

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practice to help other faculty members create robust online courses.

“Based on the needs of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, I transitioned into my current role as a professor of practice in the Department of Communication in 2015,” she said.

“I think it’s a good fit. We offer several writing courses, which was my primary focus for my Ph.D. studies,” she said.

“I also get to teach our pop culture class as well as courses in pedagogy.”

Through popular culture, there is a possibility to use it to highlight different concepts.

Callens views her role at NDSU as being a facilitator or a guide, for students. “It’s also very much a collaboration with students,” she said.

“I have to be able to go into that room and listen to what they’re saying to me, assess what they understand and make changes based on that. So, I do like to try new things. I learned three different technologies this summer for my courses. I learned VoiceThread on Blackboard, YuJa on Blackboard and Flipgrid. When I choose these different

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technologies, I always think, how will it help students meet my course objectives? I’m always thinking about what do I want students to learn?”

Key to her process of trying new things and approaching problems from lesstraditional routes, which is why she gets some of her best responses from her course in popular culture. “I think it’s because the starting point is pop culture. [The students] are excited to engage in some of these activities that I ask them to do. Some students might not be interested in writing a rhetorical analysis of a book from the 1800s, but when I ask these same students to do the same activity and we’re looking at a current television series, they are often more interested.”

Plus, through popular culture, there is a possibility to use it to highlight different concepts, Callens said. “I can remember teaching a class on zombies to honor students, and we’re talking about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

We watched ‘The Walking Dead’ and discussed how the characters’ basic needs were often not met, and that’s why [the characters] were struggling to achieve a higher status on Maslow’s hierarchy. It was a way to highlight that concept and watch ‘The Walking Dead’ at the same time.”

Education Perspectives

Who Says an Old Dog Cannot Learn New Tricks

By Alicia Bata, NDU Vice President of Education

After having taught on Interactive Television (ITV) for almost 30 years, I have learned some tricks that have made my classes run smoothly and go hand in hand with online teaching. The environment is not the same as a regular classroom; most of my students are at far away sites and I am usually the only supervisor for the six or seven districts to which I deliver Spanish 1, 2 and 3 classes all day long.

Whether you are teaching in a regular classroom setting, live (synchronously) on ITV, Zoom, Google Meets, or completely online, your class rituals and routines and your good teaching practices will result in excellent classroom management and learning outcomes.

ITV TIPS - Create community: just like in a regular classroom, it is crucial to get to know your students. Remind them that even though they are miles away from one another, they are all part of the same team working towards a common goal. Post on your online platform notes of encouragement and individual comments.

- Since my classes are always recorded, the first week of school I give them extra points for signing up for class recordings online; that way, they can watch and continue learning new material when they are absent.

- Set clear expectations and boundaries for communication (office hours, email, etc.). Let them know you are NOT available 24/7. In the past, students have emailed me at midnight

and asked for a response before class the next morning!

- Be flexible (the term of the day is “fluid”). Technology can go wrong, you may have to change lesson plans and the pace of delivery because of school events, weather (thunderstorms in ND are not wonderful for rural Internet!), students quarantined at home, and so on.

- Simplify your notes, give explicit instructions both orally and in writing (I post assignments on the overhead board in class or in Google Classroom). Also, be ready to adjust timing to complete assignments.

- Ask students for feedback often so you know you are “on the same page.”

- Take advantage of technology to look up short videos and comment on them interactively.

- Address multiple intelligences, encouraging students to express themselves through their own creativity: drawing, writing, videoing their own skits, researching, and presenting.

You will find out that some students do much better online than in the regular classroom setting. Do not be afraid of trying new techniques and be honest with your classes when you think things are not meeting your expectations.

Rely on your colleagues who may have expertise in areas you do not.

Remember, it takes a village … ndunited.org

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On Loving, and Leaving, North Dakota Austerity measures in higher ed force hard-working professionals to look elsewhere

By Sheila Liming

My life in North Dakota started and ended with books.

In 2014, when I accepted a job as Assistant Professor of English at the University of North Dakota, I had very little experience with the state. So, in preparation for our relocation from Pennsylvania, my husband and I started reading, swapping books back and forth in an effort to understand the place that would now be our home.

Together, we read Theodore Roosevelt’s “Hunting Trips of a Ranchman,” savoring his staggeringly detailed descriptions. Then came Chuck Klosterman’s books, especially his novel “Downtown Owl,” in which a highly relatable young woman moves to North Dakota for a teaching job and dies in a blizzard. Finally, we turned to Kathleen 22

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Norris’ memoir “Dakota.” Where Klosterman had warned us about snowclogged tailpipes and death by carbon monoxide, Norris warned us of the need to commit fully to life in the Dakotas.

“The Plains are not forgiving,” she explains. “Anything that is shallow … will dry up and blow away.”

Things changed dramatically during the six years that I spent in North Dakota and, despite all my reading, I was not prepared. I had entered UND in 2014 with a lower-than-average starting salary — not just for my discipline, but for the university itself. Colleagues in other departments who I met on the new faculty bus tour (a yearly ritual at UND) were, I knew, making as much as 30-40 percent more than me. Then came three years of system-wide budget cuts. Over that time, my department lost half of

its tenured faculty, and those of us who stayed behind stopped receiving annual raises.

For a while, my colleagues and I insisted on viewing the cuts as an aberration and not as the beginning of a new normal.

But suffering and austerity quickly became normalized. Our workloads mushroomed in the wake of those losses, with everyone scrambling to pick up the slack, and our students noticed. One of mine, an outstanding thinker and writer, switched majors after admitting she was concerned that our department would be cut and she would be prevented from finishing her degree on time. New academic programs that I had helped to launch at UND — including an interdisciplinary major in Environmental Studies and a certificate in Publishing — started to falter without enough faculty to cover required classes.

A big part of my work as a teacher became about attending to the grief and anxiety of students whose faith in their educational goals had been shaken by an increasingly precarious and heartless system. Meanwhile, my husband and I were struggling. Since 2014, he had served as a part-time lecturer, working for adjunct wages that barely helped to supplement my own. We put off life plans, including starting a family and making repairs to the historic home we’d bought, only to wash up each August in debt once again.

So, I started looking for new jobs. In the spring of 2020, just as the world entered into pandemic mode, I received an offer from a college in Vermont that paid 25 percent higher than my current position at UND. But there was a catch: After

six years, I had succeeded in learning to love North Dakota. I had neighbors and friends; I volunteered, teaching English classes to new Americans through a local nonprofit; I had graduate students whose projects I wanted to see through to completion.

I didn’t want to leave.

With such a tempting job offer in hand, I thought I might negotiate with UND to stay. I had just received tenure there, which meant, I thought, that they wanted me. But they didn’t; the realization all but broke me.

I had asked UND for a raise in one of two forms: either match the other school’s salary offer or promote my husband to full-time status. He was already teaching the maximum number of classes that were permitted at the part-time level; all he needed was one more per year to be eligible for benefits.

But UND refused on both counts.

In the last month of my life in North Dakota, I picked up Johan Bojer’s “The Emigrants.” Published 100 years ago, it’s about a group of Norwegians who settle in the Red River Valley. People in it suffer, dying in farm accidents or else going “prairie crazy” from the sight of so much open land. As I read it, I reflected on how hard I had tried to earn a place within the history and culture of North Dakota. I hadn’t chosen this place, but it had chosen me, once, before it finally chose to let me go. _____________ Sheila Liming is a former member of North Dakota United, and is now an Associate Professor of Writing at Champlain College in Burlington, VT. ndunited.org

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Ask Your Attorney

Frequently Asked Questions with North Dakota United’s Legal Counsel, Michael J. Geiermann North Dakota United is listening and responding to your concerns and questions surrounding this unprecedented school year. We want to assure you that #WeAreUnited with you as we face continued uncertainty.

In this article, North Dakota United legal counsel Michael J. Geiermann addresses some of your most frequently asked questions including wearing of face coverings, use of sick leave, extra compensation, negotiated agreements in a pandemic, and medical privacy concerns.

ever ruled on this issue. However, under the current pandemic, I am fairly confident that the ND Supreme Court would find that a school board regulation mandating the wearing of face masks is constitutional. There are certain times when individual liberty must give way to the public good, and I believe that if faced with this issue the ND Supreme Court would make that finding.

Q: Can the school board require students and staff to wear masks or face coverings?

A: Yes, in North Dakota school boards have the authority to establish rules and regulations regarding masks or face coverings.

Q: Can an educator ask students to wear a mask when it’s not required by the district?

A: Not without approval from administration. If an educator has a preference for their students to wear masks, that request would be taken into consideration by the school district and is likely to be denied. To strengthen the argument, the educator must come forward with an additional reason to have masks worn in their classroom, such as an underlying medical condition that makes them more susceptible to COVID-19. If you have a medical reason and are denied this request, please contact North Dakota United to see if we can be of further assistance to you.

Q: Is the school board requirement of wearing masks for students/staff unconstitutional?

A: I believe the answer is no, but the North Dakota Supreme Court hasn’t

LEAVE: Q: May a contracted staff member refuse to go to school due to fear of getting COVID-19?

A: No. In light of the current pandemic,

MASKS: Q: Do you have the right to wear a mask?

A: Yes, absolutely. For the safety and health of yourself, your family and your students, you can wear a mask even if your district does not require it.

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I don’t believe that a staff member could refuse to go to school simply on the basis that they are afraid they may contract COVID-19. The exception would be if that fear turned into some type of condition that could be characterized as a disability and prevented the staff member from performing their job. But, simply having the fear that you would contract the virus is not a sufficient basis to stay home and avoid your contracted duties. My concern would be that if that was the reason provided to their administrator, they would most likely be ordered to return to their contracted duties. In the event they didn’t, they could face charges of being insubordinate, which may require their termination or at least a hearing on the matter.

Q: Can a staff member use sick leave because they’ve been quarantined due to COVID-19?

A: Yes, but we also believe that an educator who must quarantine can access the 80 hour paid sick leave which has been passed by Congress. Sick leave is provided to teachers by state statute.

There are also numerous negotiated agreements throughout the state of North Dakota that provide for sick leave and the accumulation of sick leave. I don’t think there’s any doubt that if a staff member contracted COVID-19, they would be allowed to use their sick leave. The tougher question is whether or not you could be asked to use sick leave when you may have been exposed or are simply quarantined. We would prefer educators use the congressional sick leave first before they are required to

use their own accumulated sick leave. If you are required to be quarantined, and your administration takes the position that you need to use your accumulated sick leave please contact NDU so we can work through the issue together and make sure you are receiving the full benefit of the acts passed by Congress.

NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS: Q: Does a negotiated agreement remain enforceable during a pandemic?

A: Yes, the negotiated agreement is still effective. Since each district has its own agreement with specific language, each situation is unique and therefore requires an individualized answer. If you have a specific question about using your prep period, or your dutyfree lunch, or the time you need to supervise students, etc. we need to hear from you as soon as possible. There will be times where these kinds of issues are not contained in the negotiated agreement. The North Dakota Supreme Court has indicated that it is then up to the discretion of the school district.

But, once again, just because the administration takes a position doesn’t make it right. We want to make sure you get the right answers – but you have to ask us first!

Q: If a teacher is required to teach both distance learning and inperson, are they entitled to extra compensation?

A: Probably not. To answer the question, the first thing you must do is look at your negotiated agreement. I can venture a guess that there probably isn’t anything about distance learning ndunited.org

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or extra pay for distance learning. In North Dakota, teachers are not paid by the hour. You are paid to do a job, to provide the services that are required to educate the children regardless of whether or not you can get it all done during a school day. You know that your service to these students is unmatched and a total devotion by you. Are there instances where you are going to have to put in extra time during nights and weekends? Yes. Have you been getting paid for that in the past? Probably not.

Will you get paid for that during this school year? Probably not. We have every confidence that you have and will continue to do that job, but asking for extra pay is probably not the avenue you want to go through because most likely it is not in your negotiated agreement.

Now, that doesn’t mean local education associations cannot try to reopen negotiations to see if they can negotiate extra compensation or extra duty pay in the event that it is becoming common.

Whether or not you want to negotiate those things is up to you. Because the situation is so fluid and changing every day, we have to be able to be flexible and look at these issues as they arise.

Q: Are there any penalties for educators retiring late in the year?

A: Yes If you have a signed contract and decide not to perform your duties, you are in breach of contract. Breach of contract has been defined by the North Dakota Supreme Court as simply nonperformance. If you breach a contract in North Dakota, you are subject to damages. The damages that would be suffered by a school district would be the difference between what they were 26

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going to pay you, and what they will pay a substitute. The damages will likely be minimal, but theoretically you could have to pay. There is also a liquidated damages clause in many negotiated agreements that are enforceable and can be on a depreciating scale as the school year progresses. A breach of contract is also cause for the Education Standards and Practices Board to take action against your license. If you do make these decisions, please contact us so we can counsel you through the process as best we can.

MEDICAL PRIVACY: Q: May a school district administrator request medical info from a staff member who calls in sick?

A: Yes. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is the federal agency that enforces and administers the Americans with Disabilities Act, has stated that employers can request medical documentation from an employee in the event that employee is showing symptoms of COVID-19 or has expressed that they believe they have COVID-19 symptoms. Medical information must be held confidential and exempt from the ND open records law, so if a staff member is asked by an administrator to provide medical information, the staff member has to comply, and that information will be held in a confidential medical file.

Q: Can a school district mandate the taking of a temperature for students/ staff?

A: Yes. The EEOC indicates that the taking of temperature is a medical

procedure. Employers are given the authority to ask that employees submit to medical procedures if it is job related or it is because of a business necessity. I am of the opinion that a school district could require both staff members and students to have their temperature taken.

Q: Can a school district or administrator require COVID-19 testing before employees return to work?

A: Yes. Under the current federal and state laws, medical procedures can be required by employers if it is either a business necessity or job related.

Q: Should members sign anything to authorize employers access to medical info?

A: No, under no circumstances.

School districts are presenting various forms to staff in regards to medical history and condition and the types of accommodations that would be requested by the educator. In some of those forms we’ve seen a waiver request that states that by signing the request for accommodation form you are also giving permission to the school district to directly contact your medical provider and request medical information. It is my opinion that under no circumstances should any of our members ever sign that kind of release. You need to keep control of that situation and, if requested by administration, provide pertinent medical information, but under no circumstances should you ever let administration or a school district talk directly to your physician.

Q: If a member has a medical condition and is high risk for COVID-19, what steps should they take?

A: Your medical condition is confidential, private information.

However, if you want a special accommodation from the school district in regards to that the first thing you must do is disclose your condition to administration. Under the ADA there is an interactive process, which is dependent upon good and meaningful discussions between employers and employees about how we can best accommodate someone’s medical condition. The first step in the process is that the employee has to ask for a reasonable accommodation and disclose to your school administration the medical condition that you believe needs to be accommodated. The law requires that you enter into this interactive process and that the parties come up with a reasonable accommodation.

Once again, this is a very case-by-case dependent basis. If you feel this applies to you, please contact us so we can walk you through the necessary steps.

If you have any additional questions, please contact NDU at 701-223-0450 or comments@ndunited.org and we will do our best to answer them as quickly as possible.

Out k c e Ch ideo the V

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Upcoming NDU Events For specific information and to register, please visit pd.ndunited.org.

ONLINE BOOK STUDIES (BY CATEGORY)

Book studies are typically one credit courses that last approximately six weeks. One credit equates to 15 hours of study. Expectations include reading the book, answering discussion questions, responding to others’ responses, and a reflection paper/action plan.

Behavioral Health • All Learning is Social and Emotional: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for the Classroom and Beyond – November 30, 2020 28

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• Watch Your Mouth: NonNegotiables for Success with Your Toughest Kids – December 14, 2020 Classroom Management • Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management – November 9, 2020 English Language Learner • Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners – October 12, 2020

LGBTQIA+ • Getting Ready for Benjamin: Preparing Teachers for Sexual Diversity in the Classroom (Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo) Sexualities) – October 19, 2020 Personal Wellness/Mindful • The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy – October 26, 2020 • The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma – November 2, 2020 Social/Racial Justice • Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students – November 16, 2020 Student Success • Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management – November 9, 2020 • It’s Always About the Children – December 7, 2020 Trauma • The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma – November 2, 2020

Who We Are and How to End the Cycle – November 23, 2020

Cost: Members $50; ESP $25; Student members $0; Non-Members $100 ––––––––––––

The cost associated with this registration is for course participation only. This course is eligible for 1 graduate credit through UND at an additional cost of $50 per credit paid directly to UND.

Elevating the Profession: Educator Ethics This is now being offered as a self-paced, one credit, online course that can be completed on your own.

This course reviews ethics as defined by the ND Educational Standards and Practices Board. Participants examine various ethical situations that help them to understand the importance of good decision making regarding their profession. Topics include technology, relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the dichotomy of a school employee’s life.

Cost: Members $50; ESP $25; Student members $0; Non-Members $100 ––––––––––––

The cost associated with this registration is for course participation only. This course is eligible for 1 graduate credit through UND at an additional cost of $50 per credit paid directly to UND.

• It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes ndunited.org

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Public Employees Local Holding Elections All city, county and state employees, and most higher ed members eligible to run for office.

Election season is upon us, and not just for state and national political offices.

The North Dakota Public Employees local is holding elections for state officers, and the offices to be filled are as follows: • President • Vice President • Secretary/Treasurer • Higher Ed Four-year Universities Representative • Higher Ed Two-Year Universities Representative • State Employees Representative • County & Municipal Employees Representative The deadline for submitting completed nomination forms is 11:59 pm CST, November 6, 2020.

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Contact Erik Holland by emailing esholland@aol.com for the proper nominating forms. Completed nomination forms should then be submitted back to Erik through that e-mail address. After the deadline, the nomination committee will check the signatures, approve the nominations and conduct the election.

North Dakota Public Employees is the statewide local affiliate of North Dakota United, representing all of our municipal, county and state workers, in addition to higher education faculty and staff members on all public university campuses except for the University of North Dakota. For more information on NDPE, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ndpublic.

UND United, AFT Local #6942, is organized as their own local association of ND United. Members of UND United are not eligible to run for office or vote in elections for NDPE officers.

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You deserve savings on coverage for a new ride. Before you head out to a dealership, reroute to savings at NEA Member Benefits. It’s the first stop for educators to get insurance discounts, tips to buy and sell a car, and more. In other words, members can find auto-related savings at every turn.

Find the resources you deserve at neamb.com/your-car

 800-637-4636

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North Dakota United 301 N 4th St Bismarck, ND 58501-4020

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PERMIT NO. 433 BISMARCK, ND