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UNITED VOICES VOL. 8 NO. 4

Developing Excellence In Your Profession PAGE 5

Educators Turn the Page on Careers PAGE 12

United Voices

June 2022 – Vol. 8, No. 4 United Voices is published in the interest of public education and public services. Educators and public employees will always find its columns open to discussions and questions of vital concern to them. For more information about North Dakota United, visit our website at www.ndunited.org.

President’s Post

Everyday Superheroes Honored

Fellowship Award — Landen Schmeichel

Pension Lessons Learned

Editor’s Notes — The Why

Turn the Page — Educator Retention

Delegate Assembly

Executive Director’s Perspective

Local Leaders Academy

Developing Excellence in Your Profession

PRESIDENT Nick Archuleta VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION Alicia Bata VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES Gary Feist NEA DIRECTOR Brenda Seehafer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chad Oban

EDITORIAL STAFF Kelly Hagen – Communications Director Sarah Keiser – Special Projects Coordinator

Teachers Need Community Support

Strategic Plan Approved

Calling All History Sleuths

ADDRESS North Dakota United 301 N Fourth St Bismarck, ND 58501 To update your membership record, change your mailing address or end duplicate mailings, contact NDU Membership at 701-223-0450 or comments@ ndunited.org. To inquire about advertising in United Voices or to share your concerns, questions or news tips, contact UV editor Kelly Hagen by e-mail at kelly.hagen@ ndunited.org or call 701-557-0206.

United Voices is the official member publication of North Dakota United (NDU), an affiliate of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. It is published four times per year, with publishing dates in September, December, March and June. Postmaster: Send address changes by mail to North Dakota United, 301 N Fourth St, Bismarck, ND 58501. 2

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President’s Post

By Nick Archuleta, nick.archuleta@ndunited.org

Don’t Let Them Divide Us

Parents and educators are partners in caring for students, not adversaries When I sat down to write this piece, I had a lot on my desk that I was researching, and I could not choose which topic to make the subject of this column. I narrowed it down to pensions and K-12 issues. Then I found out that Chad Oban’s column is about pensions — with a clever The Office analogy — so here are some thoughts about the state of K-12 education. Over the course of the past few years, we have seen education and educators thrust into the middle of America’s ongoing culture wars. Demagogues like Christopher Rufo have manufactured outrage over Critical Race Theory, while others generated chaos at school board meetings over face masks and pandemic-related safety measures. More recently, the conversation has shifted to “parental rights” and “curriculum transparency.” In Florida and elsewhere, schools are banning books and scouring curriculum for any and all cultural tripwires. In our democratic republic, we should have conversations about what constitutes a well-rounded curriculum. Parents’ concerns, like those of professional educators, should be carefully considered. We are, after all, partners in creating safe and inclusive learning spaces for our children. In doing so, it is important to remember that public schools are

supported by our citizenry as a whole and that public schools exist not to indoctrinate young people in a specific worldview. Rather, they exist to expose students to a variety of viewpoints so that students will eventually take their places within our dynamic society understanding that we are all Americans and will have to respect each other, despite our differences, if we are to embrace our promise to form a more perfect union for ourselves and our posterity. Unfortunately, there are some among us more interested in dividing America than in uniting us around the goal of creating great public schools. The good news is that most parents are not buying what the culture warriors are selling. A recent NPR/Ipsos poll reveals that: ■ 76% of respondents agree that their child’s school does a good job of keeping them informed about curriculum. ■ 88% agree that their kids’ teachers “have done the best that they could, given the circumstances around the pandemic.” ■ Just 19% felt that race and racism are taught in a manner contrary to their beliefs, while 14% felt that way about how U.S. History is taught. Maybe we are not as divided as some would have us believe. ndunited.org

Editor’s Notes

United, We Squeak In a news release that North Dakota United sent out earlier this year on the issue of educator retention, NDU President Nick Archuleta urged the public and elected leaders to take this current crisis of retention and recruitment seriously. “These poll results speak to their overwhelming frustration even as they strive to do the very best by our students and their families,” he said. “We need to listen to them. It is at our own peril that we ignore their plea for help and fail to take action to support our education professionals.” NDU member Kelly Suchy, an elementary school teacher in Bismarck and member of our union, spoke out. On pages 16-17, you will find a letter to the editor she sent to the Bismarck Tribune and attracted a tremendous amount of attention, both locally and online. We asked Kelly to briefly explain why she spoke out in the manner she did, and she gave this response:

The Why

By Kelly Suchy

Earlier this year, I was told, “Well, you know – the squeaky wheel gets the oil.” At the moment, I will confess it really irritated me. I would dare say, it pissed me off. I am an admittedly slow processor. I rolled it around in my head for days before I landed on a decision – I was going to squeak LOUDLY this year. Every survey, every feedback form, every opportunity to sit down and discuss the current state of affairs, I was in. And in January, when my family all fell ill with COVID, I had a sitdown with my thoughts. I wrote a letter to the editor. Perhaps my squeakiest, shrillest cry to date. I needed my community to know how hard teachers are working and 4

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how much of ourselves we pour into our profession. The article was well-received. My suspicions were confirmed – people love education and teachers. It is not as divided as we sometimes feel. More than that, people want to know what they can do for our profession. They want to help. Expressing myself through my letter was cathartic in the best way. They say, “You’re only as sick as your secrets.” It felt so good to just say it all. I feel lighter. I feel hopeful. I feel peace. Please consider sharing your heart with your community. Give them the fuel they need to make change. Inspire them like you inspire your students each and every day. Together, we can achieve so much. Let’s squeak.

Developing

EXCELLENCE in Your Profession Professional Development is a core tenet of the work of North Dakota United. Over the past few years, as the world has forced us all to look inward at what is most important, it has become more apparent than ever before that the strength of public education and service in North Dakota is based on the strength of our membership. To that end, NDU continues to expand and evolve our professional development offerings to ensure that what you most need is readily available. We are thrilled to share what we have in store. PD at NDU is developed with you in mind – for you, about you, and sometimes even by you! Members help set the topics, facilitate book studies, and most importantly drive what and how professional development is offered. Courses like those offered at NDU are the best way to further your

education, allowing you to improve not only yourself but your paycheck! The remainder of 2022 has an exciting array of brandnew opportunities available, including early educator cohorts, another round of Local Leaders Academy, mini-courses, and a wide array of book studies that truly offer something for everyone. Course options for education support professionals have been increased, and new options specifically tailored to Public Employee members are on the way. In addition, we hope to bring back an in-person professional development event sometime in 2023. We will share information as soon as it becomes available for all these wonderful developments. In the meantime, a few highlights of what is currently offered. Continued on next page. ndunited.org

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Early Career Educator Cohorts In an exciting brand-new offer, North Dakota United is sponsoring two Early Career Educator Cohorts beginning in June 2022 and January 2023. Each cohort will last approximately one year and will include 30 early career educators (service years 1-7). The educators will complete six courses for six credits that can be used for re-licensure and lane changes, at no cost to the educators. The Early Career Educator Cohorts are being offered for a multitude of important reasons. We want early educators to see the value of their North Dakota United membership and the value the professional development can bring them. These opportunities also allow for re-licensure and lane change. Importantly, also, is the networking and collaboration that will come from a small group of peers working together through the courses. The six books studies in the Early Career Educator Cohorts are: Poor Students, Rich Teaching: Seven High-Impact Mindsets for Students from Poverty; Hacking School Discipline; Classroom Management Matters; The Energy Bus; Differently Wired; and Troublemakers.

NDU members participate in professional development in 2019.

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North Dakota United is currently accepting educators for the January cohort, as well as a wait list for the June cohort. If you are interested, please contact Professional Development Director Amy Flicek at amy.flicek@ndunited.org.

Online Book Studies You have spoken, and we have listened! NDU’s online book studies continue to increase in their popularity, and as such we are proud to offer 62 different studies for 20222023. The books discuss topics including leadership, self-care, behavior management, mental health, poverty, engagement, instruction strategies, innovation and achievement. New to North Dakota United’s professional development offerings are two book studies focused specifically on the instruction of mathematics: “How I Wish I’d Taught Maths: Lessons Learned from Research, Conversations with Experts, and 12 Years of Mistakes” by Craig Barton and “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning” by Peter Liljedahl. When he started his Mr. Barton Maths Podcast, Craig Barton wasn’t expecting to have his whole outlook on teaching and learning turned upside down. “How I Wish I’d Taught Maths” is the story of an experienced and successful math teacher’s journey into the world of research, and what it looks like in the classroom. Along the way we meet practical, easy-to-implement strategies including Supercharged Worked Examples, Silent Teacher, SSDD problems, low-stakes quizzes, diagnostic questions, Purposeful Practice, self-explanations, harnessing the power of the

Two book studies focused specifically on the instruction of mathematics.

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hypercorrection effect, how to (and how not to) teach problem-solving and much more. No matter your experience, teaching style or favorite number, every math teacher will find something to think about in this book. “How I Wish I’d Taught Maths” NDU online book study will begin Jan. 9, 2023. Teachers often find it difficult to implement lessons that help students go beyond rote memorization and repetitive calculations. In fact, institutional norms and habits that permeate all classrooms can actually be enabling “non-thinking” student behavior. Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Peter Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into this practical guide on how to move toward

a thinking classroom. “Building Thinking Classrooms” in Mathematics, Grades K–12 helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. When combined, these unique research-based practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned deep mathematical thinking and learning, and have the power to transform mathematics classrooms like never before. “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12” NDU online book study will begin April 10, 2023.

Please contact NDU Professional Development Director Amy Flicek at amy.flicek@ndunited.org with any questions or suggestions for future courses!

To register and learn more, please visit: pd.ndunited.org 8

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Three receive awards at ceremonies in their communities

Y A D E V E R YE RO E S H R E P SU D E R O HON 20 2 Sandy Irmen

Cairra Pfau

Eric Rooke

FINALISTS Read all abou

t it!

PAGES 10-11

Watch video of award presentations on our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/nodakunited ndunited.org

EVERYDAY SUPERHEROES

For the past year, North Dakota United – the state’s top champion of great public education and public services – has been promoting our members in colorful fashion. On social media and in television commercials, we have assembled a group of normal, everyday citizens and transformed them into an elite squad, the NDU Everyday Superheroes! In the latest phase of our campaign, we asked the public to help us in our mission to select the next round of Everyday Superheroes on our website, www.ndunited.org/heroes. From 12 finalists, three were chosen by online vote to receive special recognition and the coveted NDU Everyday Superhero trophy at award ceremonies in their schools.

The three Everyday Superhero award recipients are:

IRMEN, social studies teacher at Grafton • SANDY High School PFAU, fifth-grade teacher at Longfellow • CAIRRA Elementary School in Fargo • ERIC ROOKE, band director at Williston High School “Our state’s educators and public employees have had to lift heavy workloads, leap over gigantic obstacles and run faster than ever before, each and every day, in service to North Dakota schools and communities,” ND United President Nick Archuleta said. “With our Everyday Superheroes campaign, we are celebrating them all, in epic fashion.” These three Everyday Superheroes received awards at special presentations in their home communities. NDU President Archuleta was joined by students, colleagues, friends and family in celebrating all of our heroes in public education and service. “On behalf of everyone at North Dakota United, I want to congratulate our Everyday Superhero Award winners,” Archuleta said. “These three are certainly deserving of this recognition, but I know they would be the first to tell you that all their colleagues in public education and services are heroes, too. We are truly fortunate to have so many superheroes working so hard, every day, for the people of North Dakota.” 10

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The full list of finalists in our contest are: KAREN ASKEROOTH, retired teacher and president of NDU-Retired RISSA WILLIAMS, EL aide at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck SANDY IRMEN, social studies teacher at Grafton High School JODI SHORMA, Language & Literature Department chair at Valley City State University CAIRRA PFAU, fifth-grade teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in Fargo ERIC ROOKE, band director at Williston High School LEXI KLABUNDE, second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in Minot CONNIE STORDALEN, choir teacher at Horizon Middle School in Bismarck DR. JOAN AUS, chair of the School of Education at Dickinson State University ELLEN HAGEN, English learner teacher at Willow Park Elementary School in West Fargo DR. LISA BORDEN-KING, director of Reading Clinic at Minot State University ABBY BRAATEN, special education teacher at Bowman Elementary School

“We are truly fortunate to have so many superheroes working so hard, every day, for the people of North Dakota.” — ND United President Nick Archuleta

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Turn the

Page

NDU survey tells the story of how more and more educators are closing the book on careers By Kelly Hagen, kelly.hagen@ndunited.org

For many of our members, the month of May marked the end of another school year. Whether it was their first year, fifth year, 25th year or 50th, it was the close of one chapter and the start of another. For too many of our members, May 2022 was the final chapter of their career in education. Be it to retirement, planned or early, or to educators choosing to leave the profession they once chose, the statistics are alarming. Some of that first data came earlier this year, in a poll we conducted at the start of 2022 of 1,149 complete interviews of North Dakota United members. The results were startling and put on display a growing level of dissatisfaction within the education profession. 12

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Some of the key results of this poll, conducted by DFM Research, were:

74 percent believe teacher

retention for the 2022-23 school year is a major issue.

When hired, 90 percent of our members saw a future where they would retire as an educator; when asked now, that number declines by more than half, to 41 percent. A troublesome 53 percent of educators polled said that they feel at least “some pressure” from politicians and parents to teach a certain way to be “less controversial.” When asked if they feel appreciated, 40 percent said no, and just 5 percent said they did. This represents a steep decline of 55 percent from a poll in 2019.

One educator who had already written the final chapter in her teaching career last year at this time is Kari Nehls, of Bismarck. After 15 years as a teacher, Kari made the decision to leave the profession at the end of the 2020-21 school year. She told her story on our Education Mindset podcast, which was also aired on “Main Street” programming on Prairie Public radio, that her decision to leave the profession almost came as a surprise to herself. “Being an educator really meant, to me, that I was going to do everything within my power to help the kids I was serving,” Nehls said. “It meant giving 100% when I was at school and maximizing my time to meet kids’ needs – emotionally, socially, academically – (and) having high expectations for all of my students, but even higher expectations for myself. … A lot of the expectations that I placed on myself maybe helped attribute to my burnout. But early in my career as a classroom teacher, I remember a conversation, someone telling me, ‘Kari, you can’t be so passionate. … Because you’ll burn out.’” Nehls recounted how she had grown up dreaming about becoming a teacher, playing “school” with dolls and her childhood friends. She went to college and got her degree and license to teach. Ten years into her career, though, warning signs began to flash. “There were more excuses being made for things that were happening,” she said. “More politics was starting to filter in. … You know, there were those moments of joy that was like, okay, yeah, this is great. … I would say over the last six years

is where I really just saw education going down a path that was very concerning to me.” She emphasized that she didn’t leave teaching because of parents, the divisions created by the COVID-19 pandemic or, most certainly, the kids. “But those three things are what come up in conversations,” Nehls said. “A lot of people will say, ‘Oh, I can’t imagine dealing with kids these days.’ No, that was, actually, the best part. … But it was not kids or parents or COVID that caused me to leave. I left because I knew that I had done everything that I knew how to do to help create change needed to turn around the profession. And I was getting nowhere.” Nehls likely felt in her heart, during the opening chapter of her career in teaching, that she would one day retire as an educator and close the book of her professional career. That’s not an uncommon sentiment in this line of work. While most other industries see workers drift in and out of jobs, often leaving the sector of employment in which they first started after college, educators demonstrate superhuman levels of dedication to their field. Or they did. “I think the one thing that jumped off the page at me was that a couple of years ago in a survey they answered, 90% of those respondents answered that they believed that when they went into the profession that they would retire from the profession,” NDU President Nick Archuleta said. “That number has dropped to 46%, and that is a problem.” Archuleta also pointed out that the difference is even more stark in Continued on next page. ndunited.org

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younger educators. “In the age group of 30 to 39, that number went from 91% to 26%,” he said. “When you consider that we are seeing fewer young people choosing education as a profession, and then we see people that are thinking about leaving the profession in large numbers, and particularly those teachers that are age 30 to 39, this is very concerning.” Leaving any profession can be a tough decision to make. Educators especially struggle with the perception of leaving their jobs and don’t want to be seen as complainers. For that reason, it can be difficult to find an educator willing to put their name out there and potentially damage their professional reputation. One Fargo teacher discussed his decision to leave education after nearly 15 years in the job. He didn’t want to be identified, to protect his ability to find new employment, but felt it important to speak out on behalf of all the educators who can’t. “I think … I just got to a place where I felt like my livelihood and my family was always on the line,” he said. “I was just one upset parent away from losing my job. Or, you know, in addition to the disrespect, that’s just not something people should have to deal with when they go to work every day.” When he talked to his colleagues in education, they advised him to leave while he still could. “Talking to some veteran teachers, they said, we’re too close to the end. We can’t get out, and get out while you can. And it’s scary as a teacher, because that’s our degree. They want us to think that our skills aren’t transferable, and you feel stuck. … I was nervous to go, but 14

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it was a great move. And so, it’s sad to say that leaving education is a great move, but the way the world is turning, I’m obviously not the only one.” Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler said that her department has heard a lot anecdotally about the way that teachers are feeling currently, and they are concerned about these stories. The results of our survey didn’t come as a surprise, she said, but its findings have helped spark an important conversation. “To have that hard data of North Dakota teachers and North Dakota experiences is very valuable,” Baesler said. “And, as I expected, it has resulted in a lot of conversation … not about a theory or not about a worry, but actual information that is, I hope, leading us to a concentrated, intentional conversation about what is the existing problem, and what can we do to help and fix it?” When asked what the Department of Public Instruction is doing to try to help alleviate the crisis of retention and recruitment of educators in our state, Baesler outlined a few important elements.

“...we need to compensate our teachers well ... we need to provide our educators with the support that they need in order to be successful ... really honor and respect them as professionals and know that what they do is important.” — Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler

“I left because I knew that I had done everything that I knew how to do to help create change needed to turn around the profession. And I was getting nowhere.” — Kari Nehls “Obviously, we need to compensate our teachers well,” she said. “Number two, we need to provide our educators with the support that they need in order to be successful. Professional development support, the opportunity of time to be together, to be innovative in their thinking, and to practice things with each other before they practice them in their classrooms. And then, I think the third bucket of a third pillar is to really honor and respect them as professionals and know that what they do is important.” Like Baesler, 2021 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Kristi Reinke said that she wasn’t surprised by the sentiments expressed in our retention survey. “It broke my heart,” Reinke said. “I know, just from talking to many, many teachers, even locally, it didn’t surprise me.” As part of her responsibilities as Teacher of the Year, Reinke had the opportunity to travel to various events and meet with fellow educators from across the country. During that time, she said that many of her colleagues were talking about these same problems in their home states. “A lot of the conversations went into teacher morale and all the extra things that are being added to teachers’ plates in a time where we’re already so

worried about the safety of our co-workers and the safety of our students,” Reinke said. “It’s a problem everywhere. … These amazing teachers that I’m talking to are talking about leaving the classroom.” As president of her local, the Minot Education Association, Reinke talks to a lot of her fellow educators about these issues. When asked about some possible solutions to this crisis, Reinke emphasized one very important, but often overlooked, element: time. “I think one big thing that would alleviate a lot of the issues is protection of planning time,” Reinke said. “I know everybody gets time during their day to do their grading and to plan. … But then it’s often being taken away to do this meeting or go here. And, right now, we’re using all of our planning time to sub because we cannot find any subs.” Beyond planning time, Reinke said, time to take care of themselves would go a long way toward combating those feelings of frustration, “burnout” and being underappreciated. “Take some stuff off our plate,” she said, “and give us time to breathe. Give us time to take care of ourselves, without just throwing around the ‘self-care’ word. Let us actually self-care.” ndunited.org

Teachers Need Community Support NDU member wrote well-received letter to editor on educator retention issues By Kelly Suchy, NDU member

Kind of funny how a Dar Williams song that I obsessed over in my college years is echoing in my head everyday lately: “The world’s not falling apart, because of me …” I’m a teacher. I have been teaching for 16 years. I am so glad that I chose this profession. There’s something special about watching the lightbulb turn on over a child’s head. There’s something mischievous about leading them toward an “Aha!” moment. It’s almost like, “Gotcha! You’re learning!” There’s something delightful about hearing a kid say, “This is the best day of my life” simply because you took a field trip to the Heritage Center. It is pure and joyful. It is the gift in learning. Teaching is something with which you fall in love. And you can never turn back. This year has been challenging. I have had over half my class experience absences for (say it with me) reasons dealing with COVID. Several of my staff members have had to take their 16

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workloads home while ill. In January of this year, my family finally got it. One by one. My four-year-old, twoyear-old, husband, and I all experienced different symptoms and different lengths of recovery. Even now as I type this, I have hit my afternoon wall. I don’t know how long this will continue, but I have heard from several family members, friends, and peers that it can take weeks to be back to normal. But just as I made sure to send some form of sub plans while I felt physically so low due to COVID, I am making sure to push myself to be there for my students. They need me. “The world’s not falling apart, because of me …” We are approaching what I fear is a tipping point. Teachers are stretched to their max. We are trying to stay healthy, keep students on track when they have been gone, communicate with families that are faced with their own adversities, and keep our own families afloat.

It was so hard for me to not JUST wear my mom hat when my kids were sick. I was at home with them some of the time, but I definitely felt pulled to my school. To be absent is hard for a teacher. It’s a profession where you have to plan for every minute of the day while you are gone. Most teachers spend hours on sub plans. Being gone is harder than coming to school sick. A relative of mine had over a hundred sick days when she retired. I said, “Do you know what that tells me? You went to work sick, a lot.” She agreed. And that is not even in our current state where you might get sick and have to isolate for days. “The world’s not falling apart, because of me …” What is the charge? What is the application? Whose shoulders does all this fall on? Teachers cannot do this alone. We need our community more than ever. Have you read your school board’s minutes? Advocated for schools and teachers in your legislative session? Teachers are leaving the profession. It’s not because they stopped loving it. It’s because they don’t feel supported during a time when we need to take on extra to meet the needs of our students. And believe me, we are taking on those needs with as much love and grace as we can. Not a day goes by where I am not worried about meeting

my class’s academic, emotional, social and basic needs. In the course of the day, I am not just helping them become critical thinkers who love to read and appreciate a tricky math problem – I am helping them cope with the uncertainty of the world around them. I teach positivity and gratitude and kindness. I want them to be amazing humans. And each day as I lie down in my bed and thank God for the health, happiness and safety of my children and my husband. I pray fervently for the staff, students and families at my school. I pray the staff is doing okay. I pray no one feels alone. I pray they have more in the tank. I pray the students feel loved and safe at school. I pray their families feel connected to our classroom. I pray that I am enough. I pray that when it feels like too much we can count a blessing. Count it twice. Count it 37 times if we have to, to stay focused on the positive. I pray, and I pray, and I pray … “The world’s not falling apart, because of me …” Please consider your part as a community member. You can change the conversation by simply being a part of it. From a positive mind and a loving, humble heart, I ask: Can you help change what needs changing? Asking for a friend. (It’s me. I’m the friend.)

“The world’s not falling apart, because of me …” ndunited.org

‘To Form a More Perfect Union’ History teacher receives prestigious award to teach U.S. Constitution By Kelly Hagen, kelly.hagen@ndunited.org Since its ratification in 1788, the United States’ Constitution has functioned as the supreme law of our nation, and a “living” document whose exact meaning is still debated fiercely to this day. In recognition of its importance, the federal government established the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation in 1986 to help improve how this document is taught to students in secondary schools. Each year, the Foundation awards fellowships of up to $24,000 to “teachers, college seniors, and graduates who wish to teach American history, American government, or Civics,” according to its website. To date, 1,706 fellowships have been awarded. At the start of the 2021-22 school year, Landen Schmeichel, a history teacher at Legacy High School in Bismarck, was announced as one of the recipients of this prestigious award. Being selected for the honor wasn’t a total surprise, as the application process was rigorous, but being selected so early in his career was somewhat unexpected, he said. “I was really fortunate,” Schmeichel said. “I know a few teachers who’ve been given it (and) have had to apply and reapply over the course of several years. And I was really lucky because this was 18

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the first time I had applied, and I got it in my first try. I couldn’t believe it. I thought I would be playing the game for a couple of years, and then it was there, a FedEx package, and I lost my mind.” As part of the fellowship, Schmeichel attended a six-credit Summer Institute graduate course on the Foundations of American Constitutionalism at Georgetown University. Typically the institute is held at the main campus in Washington, D.C., but due to COVID-19 restrictions, they stayed at a neighboring campus in Arlington, Va., called Marymount. “The professors were incredible,” Schmeichel said. “I have probably two notebooks full of notes that I took, and the thought-provoking questions that they gave, not only during the lecture time but in the time (when) we engaged with the material as fellow teachers from across the nation … that was so enriching. I think that my teaching has been utterly transformed because of that experience.” When asked about an experience that stood out from the rest at Marymount, Schmeichel pointed to a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of President George Washington in Mount Vernon. “Having the opportunity with two other teachers,” he said,

“one from Boston and one from Tennessee, and then I’m the guy from North Dakota to carry this wreath into the tomb of George Washington, I wasn’t expecting to have that opportunity. … History, at that point, really came alive because, you can read about George Washington in the textbook, but there’s a ceremony honoring him, and then you’re selected to carry that wreath over. I was incredibly honored to be able to do that.” His fellowship is allowing Schmeichel to pursue a master’s degree from Ashland University in Ohio, through online courses. “What I really enjoy about Ashland is it’s all primary-source based,” he said. “So, it’s not a professor lecturing us on his philosophy or his perception of American history. Let’s go read the Constitution and see what it says. Let’s go read the Federalist Papers. … I’m taking a course on the 14th Amendment and realizing how (it) has basically permeated almost every legal situation in the country and how it’s changed us as a people. Race and equal protection, privacy rights, entrepreneurial rights. All of those things are fascinating to learn about, and ultimately it’s making me a much better teacher.” Schmeichel is finishing his fourth year in teaching at Legacy after graduating from Dickinson State University in 2017. While in college, he served as president of Student-North Dakota United (SNDU), and he has been an active member of the Bismarck Education Association and ND United since he started. He compares his membership in ND United to lessons he teaches, and is still learning about, in U.S. history. “As an American, I think it’s especially important to realize the history of unions and how they

Landen Schmeichel, a history teacher at Legacy High School in Bismarck, is a recipient of the prestigious James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation award. have largely benefited not only American workers in the field of education, but also of American workers, as a whole,” Schmeichel said. “It’s much like in our history, in 1776, people didn’t just sit around and say, ‘Well, the British government is being mean to us. They should stop doing that.’ They took action. They rooted their action in the law (and) in philosophy. And they rooted in the idea that we could all be better, as a society. And that’s what I find resonant in both the Declaration (of Independence) and the Constitution, and in being involved in any civic opportunity, including that of being a union member.” ndunited.org

Delegate Assembly Brings Us Together, Again Despite the ominous weather outside and the winter that would not give up, the energy inside the National Energy Center for Excellence at Bismarck State College for the 2022 North Dakota United Delegate Assembly was palpable. After hosting so many meetings on Zoom, the member leaders of North Dakota United were finally able to gather in-person to celebrate our wins, discuss the challenges that lie ahead, and build our plans to win together for North Dakota’s educators and public employees. The morning included reports and remarks from President Nick Archuleta, NEA Director Brenda Seehafer and Executive Director Chad Oban. Each spoke clearly of our collective power to make our communities and workplaces stronger and the role every member has in making that a reality. The Delegate Assembly also included concrete actions by delegates to pass a balanced budget with no increase in dues and a three-year strategic plan (discussed on page 22) that will connect with all members of our union to address the challenges and opportunities headed our way.

TOP: Archuleta MIDDLE: Seehafer BOTTOM: Oban

The delegates also re-elected President Nick Archuleta, Vice President-Education Alicia D. Bata, Vice President-Public Employees Gary Feist and NEA Director Brenda Seehafer to new three-year terms.

NDU members gather in Bismarck to make

ND United Voices

Finally, North Dakota United presented their two highest honors to two of North Dakota’s best. Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler received the Adrian R. Dunn Friend of Education award, and the executive director of the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System, Scott Miller, was honored as Friend of Public Employees. Baesler, in her remarks, thanked the members of North Dakota United. “All of you have been doing, continue to do, and will always do outstanding work, and I thank you for your tireless efforts.” President Archuleta introduced our 2022 Friend of Public Employees award recipient, Scott Miller, as a key ally in the fight to protect defined-benefit retirement plans for all public employees and educators. Miller thanked our delegates for this honor, and gave a powerful presentation on why it would be financially reckless to switch from the current NDPERS defined-benefit pension to a defined-contribution plan. Every benefit dollar paid to a member of NDPERS results in about three dollars worth of economic impact in their community, his presentation showed. Altogether, the NDPERS pension plan paid out $232,343,597. Miller compared that to a business, looking to move its operations into our state and promising a $200 million annual payroll to North Dakotans. “Imagine the tax incentives they’d be offered,” Miller said.

TOP: Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler, recipient of the Adrian R. Dunn Friend of Education award. BOTTOM: NDPERS Executive Director Scott Miller, recipient of the Friend of Public Employees award.

important decisions for the future of our organization

ndunited.org

Strategic Plan

APPROVED at Delegate Assembly

NDU leaders outline vision for growth in three key areas As we head into a time of tremendous challenge for our union, including fights to protect our pensions, to obtain sustainable funding for our institutions, to protect academic freedom and to defend against privatization, our North Dakota United Board of Directors decided it was time to refresh our plans to strengthen our union for the battles ahead of us. To this end, NDU President Nick Archuleta appointed a 13-member Strategic Planning Task Force that included all constituencies of our union and began its work in January 2022. The following members were a part of the Task Force:

President Archuleta, Vice President of Education Alicia Bata, Vice President of Public Employees Gary Feist, NEA Director Brenda Seehafer, Northwest Director Alan Leintz, Aaron Flynn, Emily Wros, Erik Holland, Janet Midthun, Kathryn Bohle, Sarah Fox and Sarah Hicks. Following several sessions focused on identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as tremendous work by NDU staff to provide resources and in-depth planning, the Strategic Plan Task Force presented the following threeyear plan, which was adopted unanimously by the 2022 Delegate Assembly in April.

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”

–Pablo Picasso

ND United Voices

■ PROFESSIONAL

●

DEVELOPMENT GOAL: Expanding the Foundation of our PD Program ●

●

10% of participants have PD as their first engagement in the union

■ ADVOCACY GOAL: To be THE powerful voice for public service professionals by: winning increases of at least 5% in salary for the public service professionals in each of the next two legislative sessions; protecting our pensions; preventing the privatization of our schools and public sector jobs; securing an ongoing investment of at least $50 million dollars in quality pre-K and childcare; and protecting the bargaining rights of our members. ●

> Coordinate with field staff and member recruitment team

Increase total participation in NDU Professional Development by 30% Increase diversity in offerings, facilitators, participants to all NDU constituencies

Build our advocacy program and infrastructure

> Break down silos

between programs, map out a yearly calendar in which events, trainings, etc. build into and off each other more fluidly

Strengthening our team with infrastructure at the local level

> Government Relations chair development

> Succession planning for leadership

●

Build an NDU membercandidate and support pipeline

■ GROWTH GOAL: Increase

total Active membership to 9,195 in the next three years ●

Field staff will be working directly with locals to build and support localspecific organizing and engagement plans that will enable locals to have the strength they need to win in their workplaces and gives us the strength we need to win together at the state Legislature.

> 7,250 K-12 (Currently 6,689)

> 1,000 ESP (Currently 720)

> 525 Higher Ed (Currently 441)

> 350 State (Currently 223) > 70 County (Currently 67)

The Strategic Planning Task Force did a fantastic job setting the course for our union over the next three years, and together as members, elected leaders and North Dakota United staff, we will continue to coordinate the implementation of this plan to make sure we win together! ndunited.org

Head of firefighters union discusses how defined benefit plan was once lost in Grand Forks

Pension Lessons Learned By Kelly Hagen, kelly.hagen@ndunited.org

Threats to retirement plans for public workers are not new, here in North Dakota or elsewhere. A legislative effort to close both the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS) defined-benefit pension plan and the Teachers Fund for Retirement (TFFR) pension in 2011 played a huge role in bringing the North Dakota Education Association and North Dakota Public Employees Association together to form North Dakota United. On the local level, defined-benefit retirement plans have been targeted and closed. Legislators in Bismarck need only look east to the city of Grand Forks in order to see what happens when a DB plan is closed to new hires, and to continued revenue, while still paying out retirement benefits to participants. Darren Schimke is a 29-year veteran of the Grand Forks Fire Department and the current president of the Professional Fire Fighters of North Dakota. Schimke was invited to speak at a recent Pension Protection Meeting, which are held regularly to keep our members informed on the continued efforts to close defined-benefit plans for public employees. Visit www.ndunited. org/protect-our-retirement for more information. At our January event, Schimke 24

ND United Voices

talked about his experiences having seen first-hand the city of Grand Forks closing a defined-benefit plan for new employees in 1996, and his involvement in successfully granting city employees, including firefighters and police, to join the NDPERS DB pension in 2008. “The city of Grand Forks had a defined-benefit plan,” Schimke said. “It was administered by the city, and that was from 1970 to 1995. In January of 1996, they went to the defined-contribution plan. … It was closed due to the unfunded liability within the plan. The reason for that unfunded liability was not because (the) employee contributions weren’t there. It was basically the actuarial recommendation for payment on the city side was not followed every single year.” The U.S. had gone through a recession in the early 1990s, and

market values couldn’t keep up with the growing deficit in the plan. The unfunded liability grew to a point where it was concerning to the city, Schimke recounted, and Grand Forks began to explore a defined-contribution plan. City workers fought the change, pooling their money to hire a lawyer and fund an independent actuarial report. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and the city went to a defined-contribution plan. It didn’t take long for recruitment and retention of quality workers to become difficult. “After the defined-contribution plan was in place for some years, a lot of the city employees were approaching maybe their midpoint in their careers,” Schimke said. “And they realized, as we all know, that the DC plan is just a pot of money at the end that you draw from when you retire. And when it’s gone, it’s gone.” As the local president of the firefighters’ union, Schimke heard directly from city employees who were leaving their jobs due to deteriorating morale during their exit interviews. “The number one reason was benefits, the retirement, specifically,” he said. Schimke said that he and many others were concerned about the trends they were seeing in hiring and losing good workers. One morning, he opened up a copy of the Grand Forks Herald and read an article about employees of the University of North Dakota who were members of the NDPERS retirement plan. “A lightbulb went on in my head,” he said, “Why can’t we join?” His local, Grand Forks Firefighters Local 242, started organizing public employees to get involved in the effort toward joining NDPERS. “We started with the

employee rep group,” Schimke said. “Of course, they supported the chance of joining North Dakota PERS. I visited with our fire chiefs and police chief, and they were in support of it. Then I went to City Hall, and we visited with the Human Resource Department. We had hit a few bumps in the road with them, but in the end, it was worked out. The finance director at the time took all of the information that we had gathered, and he did his research along with looking at ours, and it turns out we were eligible and gave his blessing and his support. And that’s where we moved forward to the city council and to the mayor.” After two years of efforts, talking to every level of city government, the City of Grand Forks joined the NDPERS main plan on July 1, 2008. Just last year, the city added firefighters and police to the NDPERS Public Safety Pension Plan. Schimke closed his presentation with words of support and solidarity. “I would like to deliver a message to everyone, and that is this issue is winnable,” he said. “It is a winnable issue. It’s an uphill issue, though, very uphill. The time to act is now. We need everyone’s assistance. Boots on the ground. Talking with the public. Talking with the politicians in your area and getting them on our side. We need to stand up and fight for this.” While firefighters and police are on a separate plan that isn’t currently being targeted, Schimke pledged his union’s assistance. “This happened in Grand Forks,” he said. “We were able to join the North Dakota PERS DB plan, and we’re passionate about it. My local is passionate about it. We hate the thought of going back to a DC plan. It’s a roller coaster.” ndunited.org

Executive Director’s Perspective By Chad Oban, chad.oban@ndunited.org

Keep Retirement Security Out of the Lake Legislative committee not listening to facts, experts on pensions There is an episode of The Office that I think about a lot these days. In this episode, Michael and Dwight are on a sales call. Michael decides to follow his GPS regardless of what he sees happening around him, and even through Dwight’s calls to stop, Michael drives them into a lake. At times, the ND Legislative Retirement Committee reminds me of Michael driving into a lake. This is the committee that was formed to end the Defined Benefit pension for new employees. Regardless of what information they have, their charge is to potentially drive the PERS retirement system into a lake, which would negatively affect the retirement security of thousands of North Dakotans. The committee hired an expert who told them that changing from a defined benefit pension to a defined contribution is an “inefficient use of tax dollars,” which is a nice way of saying it wastes tax dollars. The committee responded with a call for paid experts to only to tell them what they want to hear. The committee heard from the pension experts at NDPERS that the fund is on pace to be fully funded in 40 years. The committee responded by ignoring the information because they know better than the experts.

MUCH BENEFIT per tax dollar spent with the defined-benefit pension. The committee responded by letting them know that it is not the narrative they want. Two of the three states the committee brought in to show ND the way to get rid of pensions are now considering going back to the system we have in place because it costs too much and is causing a recruitment and retention crisis. Exactly what the experts have told North Dakota. ND United has never been afraid to study defined-benefit pensions. We know, and independent data confirms, it is the best way to create retirement security while using taxpayer dollars efficiently and is a fantastic recruitment and retention tool. When elected leaders decide the outcome before hearing the facts while ignoring experts, they create preventable problems that risk our retirement security and weaken our ability to provide quality public services. Today, it is state employees and education support professionals, but next it could be teachers. Please get involved with the campaign to Protect Our Pensions, and make sure legislators don’t drive our retirement security into a lake.

The committee’s own paid consultant told them that you get TWICE AS

Learn more at: Protect the Promise of a Secure Retirement – ND United 26

ND United Voices

History Sleuths! Historical interpretation and research is a process, like solving a case. The State Historical Society of North Dakota is leading student-driven research. We provide resources to educators and students to help them develop a grounded understanding of historical thinking skills and media literacy.

Interested in finding out more?

bit.ly/ndstudies ndunited.org

Local Leaders Academy 2022-2023

Local Leaders Academy ONLINE LEADERSHIP TRAINING

After a successful inaugural Local Leaders Academy that started in January of 2021, we are excited to announce our offerings for 2022-2023. Leadership training, networking, and specific union skill development is crucial to the success of every member leader, your leadership teams, and your locals. We have developed a focused training series to develop your knowledge of Negotiations, Member Rights & Advocacy, Organizing for Action, Balance & Boundaries, and more. There will be 5 sessions/ courses each semester, with the first session taking place at the beginning of the school year (exact date to be announced later). There will also be two book studies available as part of the Local Leaders Academy: Soul! Fulfilling the Promise of Your Professional Life as a Teacher and Leader and Teamwork: 13 Timeless Principles for Creating Success and Fulfillment as a Team. 28

ND United Voices

Credit Breakdown Up to 4 credits will be available: 2 semesters of courses + 2 book studies. Participants can configure the credit option to what works for you (1-4 credits). Book studies are each 15 hours and are blog style, which includes some interaction with your peers, and a reflective piece to end the course. Each book study for this academy is one credit. The sessions themselves are also one credit. There is no charge for the book studies or taking the sessions, but you will be responsible for the cost of the books and the $50 credit themselves from University of North Dakota.

Who Should Take the Courses? These sessions and book studies are for anyone who currently holds a leadership position within their local or anyone who is interested in holding a leadership position within their local. These leadership positions could include, but are not limited to, president, executive committees, and negotiation teams.

Why Should I Take the Course? North Dakota United has consistently received feedback from local leadership teams that training, networking and professional development are beneficial to personal and collective success. The Local Leaders Academy provides a top-notch learning and support environment to discuss the challenges of union leadership. More importantly, the Academy provides a space for North Dakota United leaders to build relationships across the state to share successful strategies and tactics.

Email Amy.Flicek@ndunited.org with questions and/or if interested in participating. If interested in participating please include your first and last name, personal email address, school district/ workplace, local leadership role(s).

Two book studies available as part of the Local Leaders Academy

Scan this code to register today! www.ndunited.org/for-members/local-leaders-academy/ ndunited.org

Did you know we’re more than an insurance company? We are dedicated to helping educators make informed financial decisions so they can stay in the job they love. Our representatives offer no-cost financial wellness education on a variety of topics important to educators.

Horace Mann is a long-time, NDU, corporate supporter. Visit horacemann.com or contact your local representative to learn more.

AM-C04554 (2-22)

ND United Voices

horacemann.com

YOU DESERVE MORE Including a clean break

You deserve to celebrate life, without the looming stress of student debt. Get a fresh start with SCAN & GO

NEA Member Benefits. You’ll have access to tools made to help members repay student loans, and resources to help navigate the forgiveness process. Which means you can focus on what’s ahead.

Prepare for your future at neamb.com/studentloandebt

 800-637-4636

ST U D E N T LOA N D E B T

CO370622

ndunited.org

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

SUMMER 2022 Advance your teaching skills this summer •

Face-to-Face Learning Events

•

Online Courses

•

2900 Graduate Level Professional Development Credit

UND.edu/educators See our website for a complete list of courses!

United Voices, Vol. 8 No. 4