United Voices, Vol. 10 No. 1

10 Years, United

10 Years,

By Nick Archuleta, nick.archuleta@ndunited.org

New School Year, New Opportunities

Greetings, ND United!

I hope this note finds you and yours well as we transition from what I hope was an invigorating and restorative summer to a rewarding and beautiful autumn. Thank you for all you do in service to our friends and neighbors across the state. Our once hushed and empty classrooms are once again humming with the vibrant energy that only you, our dedicated teachers, faculty and education support professionals, can bring. You are the architects of inspiration, the guides of knowledge and the nurturing souls who mold the future of our society. Your passion and commitment continue to be the bedrock upon which we will build a freer and more inclusive democracy.

Equally important and inspiring are the non-education members of North Dakota United. Your resolute efforts to deliver the vital public services that propel our state forward and improve our living standards are very much appreciated by all North Dakotans. I shudder to think of what this state would look like without your good work on everyone’s behalf.

I want to thank you for your membership in ND United! Your membership and advocacy are responsible for a great deal of good that happens across our state and in our Legislature. Any organization would be happy to have members like ours! More members than ever

before have taken the time to become engaged in the work of the enterprise by writing to their legislators and other elected officials, encouraging them to propose and adopt policies that strengthen education and public service in the state. Your efforts were certainly noticed by policymakers on both sides of the aisle this past legislative session, and we hope to keep the momentum going as we do our work during the interim.

Now is a great time to tell you about two more opportunities to get more involved in NDU governance, as well as that of our national affiliates, NEA and AFT.

First, the 2024 NDU Delegate Assembly will be held at the Gateway to Science Center in Bismarck in April. Every seat on the NDU Board of Directors, except those of the president, vice presidents and NEA director, is on the ballot. In addition, we will also elect delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly, which will be held in Philadelphia next summer. So, if you would like to serve on the NDU Board of Directors and/or attend the NEA RA, here’s what you can do. Keep reading this edition of United Voices, and you will find an excellent preview of upcoming events that would benefit greatly from your participation.

Thanks again for your membership in ND United, and thank you for the excellent work you do in service to the people of North Dakota!

Membership made easier than ever

By receiving this copy of United Voices magazine, you likely already made the choice to join and we thank you for that! Now, you can take your membership even further by easily sharing information with your colleagues about the multiple benefits they’ll receive by joining North Dakota United, too. With more members like you, we will have an even stronger voice to impact meaningful change for the lives of all North Dakotans.

Anyone can now join our union straight from their phone, computer or smart device! Encourage your co-workers to visit www.ndunited.org/join for more information, or they can simply text JOIN to 48744 to get started.

We’re also simplifying the process of paying your local, state and national dues, too. Our members have long had the ability to pay dues through payroll deduction. However, there’s an easier and more discrete way to pay dues without involving your payroll administrator in the process.

If you’d like to switch your dues payment method to ACH, just go to bit.ly/NDUedues online or scan the QR code we’ve included below.

Nominate colleagues for ESP of the Year

Education support professionals (ESPs) make huge differences in young lives every day in North Dakota. The North Dakota United ESP Leadership Award annually recognizes an outstanding ESP member of ND United and the impact they make toward their school, community and profession. The NDU ESP of the Year Award is your opportunity to nominate someone you know and work with to be recognized for his or her exceptional work. Every year, the NDU ESP Advisory Board seeks a member who reflects the importance, value and quality of the work performed by our paraprofessionals, education assistance, secretarial, custodial, food service, maintenance and trades, transportation, groundskeepers, security, technology services, health services and other members, who serve not only in their schools but in their community.

The nomination window for this year’s award opens on Sept. 1, 2023, and will close on Dec. 1. Nominees for this award must be members of NDU to qualify for consideration. To submit your nomination, visit our website at bit.ly/NDUespoy or scan the QR code below.

Scan to switch your dues payment method to ACH bit.ly/NDUedues

Scan to nominate for NDU ESP of the Year Award bit.ly/NDUespoy

New NDU website coming soon

It’s time once again for a revamp of our official website at www.ndunited.org. As is true for most businesses, enterprises, groups, organizations, associations and unions like ours, new features are regularly rolling out, and a whole new look helps reflect this constant digital evolution!

In early October, North Dakota United will debut a new website design with assistance from our partners at the National Education Association. All of the same features that are available now at www.nea.org will be made available at www.ndunited.org. Stay tuned to our website and social media accounts for more news on the exact date when our new website will launch! Find your membership number on the mailing label of this and every issue of United Voices. Your membership number will be used in setting up your account to access members-only content.

NDU in the News

NDU Legislator Report Card now available online

In an effort to inform our fellow members of North Dakota United, our digital team has launched an interactive ND United Legislator Report Card online. We’ve compiled the voting records of all current legislators on where they stand on issues that would have the deepest impact on the lives of North Dakota’s students, classrooms, educators and the public services that we all depend upon.

Go to reportcard.ndunited.org now and you can look up how legislators from your district voted on the bills most important to you, your students and the communities in which you live. If you don’t know your district, we have a search feature that will tell you who your legislators are by typing in your street address and postal code. Also, please share this information with your family, friends and colleagues who are also strong supporters of great public education and great public services in North Dakota!

Members of North Dakota United are frequently in the news, both locally and statewide, and sometimes even nationally. Beginning in this issue, we will be featuring some of their quotes in each issue of United Voices.

— Nick Archuleta, North Dakota United President, on the request made by the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) to temporarily allow student teachers to serve as “teachers of record” in the classrooms in which they are supposed to be collaborating with veteran teachers serving as mentors. KX News shared this quote in a story titled “Will expanded use of student teachers in the classroom help ease the ND teacher shortage?” on its website, www.kxnet.com, on Aug. 9.

— Sara Medalen, K-5 reading and math interventionist at Sunnyside Elementary in Minot, and 2023 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship recipient. Medalen was selected along with 49 other public school educators from 45 states to participate in a year-long professional learning experience, focused on educating and empowering students for global citizenship, and traveled to South Africa this summer for a 10-day field study. KFYR-TV in Bismarck posted a story on Medalen’s adventure, “North Dakota teacher reflects on educational journey to South Africa,” on their website, www.kfyrtv.com, on Aug. 8.

“Our goals need to be finding solutions to the problem rather than continually redefining the problem.”

“How can we solve those problems and even beyond that, for our students to be able to look right here in our own community and say, what are some problems in our community?”

10 Years, United

By Kelly Hagen, kelly.hagen@ndunited.org

Ten years ago, North Dakotans from communities all across the state, representing the wishes of thousands of their fellow union members, workers in public education and public service, had a choice to make. A big one, at that. Members of the North Dakota Education Association, the state’s union of K-12 teachers, education support professionals, retired school personnel and aspiring educators, and members of the North Dakota Public Employees Association, the state’s union for higher education faculty and staff, state, county and municipal employees, and retired public workers, were asked to serve as delegates of their locals and chapters at a Unity Assembly in Bismarck.

The decision was not one taken lightly. For many decades, these two groups existed separately, with different structures, affiliations and cultures. More times than not, they stood on the same side of big

issues. In fact, it was on the issue of two ballot initiatives in 2008, which would drastically reduce tax revenues that fund our school districts and public services, that our two unions of public servants stood together in opposition and first witnessed what was possible when we all worked together.

A first meeting was held in August 2009 to explore avenues of cooperation. By 2010, both organizations adopted cooperation and consolidation agreements, and formed a Unity Team. In April 2011, both representative assemblies overwhelmingly approved a joint mission statement and principles of unity, and the drafting of a constitution and bylaws for a new union to represent their shared vision. After a year and a half of meetings and discussions, the NDPEA and NDEA boards both approved the merger and transition agreement and scheduled Feb. 2, 2013, as the date of a joint delegate assembly to vote on merger.

A decade ago, two unions made a choice to become one more powerful voice for public education and public services in the state of North Dakota.

On that day, history was made in a packed convention center at the Radisson in Bismarck as North Dakota United was approved by a margin far exceeding the required 2/3 majority of delegates. Overwhelmingly, our members had chosen to join. Together.

We Are United

Sept. 1, 2023, marks the 10-year anniversary of date on which North Dakota United was officially formed. Looking back at the decision that we all made as a group a decade back, on a cold, wintry day in Bismarck, one can’t help but notice the parallels to the choice we all made as individuals.

Whenever and however you were first asked to join NDPEA, NDEA or ND United, you likely asked the question, to yourself or the person asking: What’s in it for me?

The reasons to join together, then and now, are myriad. But on this special occasion, we are taking a look back at a few of the

statements made by leaders and members of our predecessor unions on why their compatriots should make the decision to merge and, together, become North Dakota United.

Stronger Together

Marie Snavely was a member of NDPEA at the time of merger, working as an art instructor for Dickinson State University. She was also a member of NDEA, having retired as an art teacher on the secondary level, and maintained dual memberships. In a column she wrote for the NDPEA Advocate newsletter, she made the pitch to support merger by sharing a lesson she’d learned from watching a movie titled “The Straight Story,” which was about the journey a 73-year-old man named Alvin Straight embarked upon a riding lawnmower to visit his estranged brother, who lived 377 miles away.

“While camped by the road,” she wrote, “sitting at a campfire, Alvin Straight told the story of a bundle of sticks to a young man who had

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LEFT: A collection of print materials from the lead-up to merger.

BELOW: NDEA members applaud immediately after vote to merge succeeds.

joined him on the road and stopped to camp with him for the night. He said if you have one stick, it can easily be broken. But when you join a group of sticks in a bundle, it is almost impossible to break the mass. … Why not create a larger bundle of sticks? There is strength in numbers. There is great wisdom in joining forces between our two organizations and over 10,000 members, and all speaking with one voice.”

Together, we have proven that axiom to be true. When our state’s educators and public employees combine our now 11,000+ voices and efforts, we can achieve powerful results. Not just for ourselves, but for all our state’s students, families and the communities in which we live. As part of North Dakota United and our two national affiliates, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, we work together with close to five million members nationwide to ensure that educators and public employees like you have a stronger voice at the local, state and national level.

United Choices, United Voices

A flyer created by NDPEA and discussed in member meetings

across ND stated: “Uniting our two organizations will create North Dakota United, the largest labor organization in our state, and give public employees and educators a stronger voice to fight for better public services, better schools and a better future.”

Then-NEA Director Alicia Bata said in a speech to the final Representative Assembly of the NDEA that “collected effort brings huge successes. A thousand phone calls make a big difference and get results we could never achieve.”

In the ten years since merger, we’ve seen how true these words by Bata, now-NDU Vice President for Education, really are. When rule changes and bad legislation have been proposed in the last ten years and five legislative sessions, our members have responded. Thousands upon thousands of calls, emails, messages and conversations, from and with our members have regularly made the difference in turning back bad ideas and lifting up proposals that are good and benefit us all.

In 2012, while discussions on merger were taking place in earnest, our two organizations were part of a large coalition of businesses, associations, nonprofits and unions that gathered together and soundly defeated a ballot measure that

would have eliminated property taxes. As NDU Executive Director Chad Oban writes in this issue of United Voices, it was a bad idea then, and it’s a bad idea now. It was also instructive to our members, then and now, that if we come together as friends, colleagues, family and neighbors, we can achieve great things.

Standing Up Together

In a Bismarck Tribune article from Dec. 23, 2012, Nick Archuleta, who was then a member of the NDEA Board of Directors and teacher at Century High School in Bismarck, said, “It will allow us to address the issue of transitioning from high school to higher ed. So, when we send a kid from public school, say in Bismarck, to, like, the University of North Dakota, we’ll have good understanding of what they (college professors) are expecting and what we should be teaching to transition over that divide.”

Now, as president of North Dakota United, Nick can say with certainty that making the decision to join together – both then and now –has the potential to benefit not just the women and men who make up our membership of more than 11,000 public educators and employees, but also the students, families and citizens of our state.

Gary Feist was President of NDPEA in 2012, and now serves as Vice President for Public Employees of ND United. In an article that was featured in the NDPEA Advocate newsletter, Feist agreed with the idea that we all benefit from speaking together in a louder, more powerful voice on behalf of the people we serve professionally – all of the students and citizens of our state.

“The merger of our union with

NDEA will allow us to speak with a strong, united voice on issues that are important to public employees, higher education faculty and staff, and K-12 teachers.,” Feist said. “This larger, stronger union will allow us to advocate for the quality public services we provide to the citizens of North Dakota each and every day.”

A Strong Voice for Everyone

In a letter sent to our union’s combined forces on Feb. 26, 2013, then-U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp wrote: “This is a proud day for all public workers in our state, who work tirelessly to make sure every citizen of North Dakota has access to high-quality public services. Uniting together in one organization will ensure public workers have a strong voice in the workplace, at the state Capitol, and in Washington to stand up for quality public services.”

In the decade since the vote to form our still-new union, statements like the ones shared here today and in countless conversations held in our homes and workplaces, at numerous workshops, conferences, Regional Assemblies, Delegate Assemblies, and in the media, online and across 43 issues of United Voices magazine, we hope the case for unity has been made. And will continue to be made, for the next 10, 100 or 1,000 years.

Ten years ago, our members were asked the question – will you join together to form North Dakota United? The choice they made then changed the course of history. You, too, can continue to make history. All it takes is answering that same question – are you North Dakota United?

How will you answer? Then and now, we hope it will be – yes.

Early Career Cohort

By Joel Crane, joel.crane@ndunited.org

Teachers invest significant time throughout their careers improving upon best practices to better serve their students. In fact, it’s a requirement: Educators in North Dakota must complete six professional development credits every five years. But to do so can be costly and time consuming. Combine that with mounting pressures facing educators, and young teachers might opt to turn away from the profession when faced with license renewal. That’s why North Dakota United has launched new professional development opportunities geared toward educators at the start of their careers.

Erica Wood teaches kindergarten at Mapleton Elementary School, just outside of Fargo. She says she jumped at the opportunity to participate in NDU’s inaugural Early Career Educator Cohort.

“Fiscally, it just makes so much sense to get you over the hump of being relicensed and/or making a lane change, as I’m going to be able to do. It’s also so easy to fit the little bits and pieces that you learn into your classroom and making changes right along the way that can really make a change for your students and your colleagues and staff in your school,

the whole culture,” Wood said. Traditionally, professional development costs $50 for each credit, about $20 for the book, and when non-members take courses through ND United, they pay an extra $100 service fee. But through the Early Educator Cohort, NDU pays all those fees for educators in the first seven years of their career. That means, members can save more than $400 and non-members can save more than $1,000 on professional development credits just by joining the union and enrolling in the cohort.

“It makes a huge difference, and just knowing it’s one less thing you have to pay for as a teacher, it’s really nice,” said Erica.

Because the cohorts are only available to early-career educators, the material is catered to address problems young teachers face as they kick off their careers.

“The cohorts are meant not only to help educate those early career educators, but also to supply them with information I felt was really relevant to those early teachers. So, classroom management, behavior management, working with our students who might be living in poverty or of less means, students who are more atypical,” said Amy Flicek, professional development director at ND United.

As a result, young teachers have a network of support from people experiencing similar situations.

“We’re going through the discussions, and you’re like, ‘Oh, 20 other people are having the same issue right now.’ So, it’s kind of like, I’m not alone. I’m not doing this wrong,” said Karl Osterman, math teacher at Hazen High School in central North Dakota.

Karl’s behavioral issues improved drastically after his experience with the cohort.

“Prior to this cohort, I was having a lot of distractions. Not huge, but it was enough that it was causing some friction between students. By the end of the year, I had almost eliminated all of those distractions, so this cohort helped a lot when it came to that,” Osterman said. There’s also the matter of flexibility.

“The Early Career Educator Cohort is set up to run approximately 14 months, and during that time,

participants would cover six different courses. There’s five book studies and an educator ethics course. We take about six weeks to do a course, then we take a little bit of a break before moving onto the next course,” Flicek said.

“I loved the pacing because as a teacher and a mom and a leader of our school and all the other things that every teacher ever is doing, it just made it doable,” Wood said.

The Early Educator Cohort is available for ND United members in their first seven years of teaching. Thirty educators are admitted to each cohort, which begin every January and June.

TOP: Erica Wood, kindergarten teacher, Mapleton Elementary School

BOTTOM: Karl Osterman, math teacher, Hazen High School

K- 12 Teacher Contract Negotiations Update

North Dakota United wants to recognize the tremendous work and dedication to their colleagues that hundreds of negotiators across the state displayed during contract negotiations across the state. Collectively, members across the state stood united for a strong voice in the classroom, fair compensation for challenging work, and benefits to support our families. We truly are Stronger United! Statewide, 2023 was generally a very good year for K-12

educators who negotiated their contracts. Many local education associations won sizeable salary increases, pension contribution increases from their school districts, and only one school district went to impasse. We also saw increases in parental leave and formalizing overloads for educators. If you have questions about your contract or the contracts of districts across the state, please check out our website, www.ndunited. org, or contact your NDU field consultant directly at 701-223-0450.

A large crowd attended a mediation on Aug. 23 between Fargo Public Schools and the Fargo Education Association.

BY THE NUMBERS:

(Compiled statistics from the 50 contracts turned into ND United by Aug. 8, 2023.)

LENGTH OF CONTRACTS:

u One-year contracts – 7

u Two-year contracts – 43

TFFR STATS:

u Model 1 – 14

u Model 2 – 24

u Model 2P – 12 (Eight will be forced to change in 2025-27)

INCREASES ON BASE SALARIES:

u 2.9% – average percentage increase statewide

u $1,266 – average amount increase, statewide

u $44,336/year – average bachelor’s degree base, statewide

u $53,800/year – Mandan, highest bachelor’s degree base

u $48,594/year – average master’s degree base, statewide

u $58,101/year – Bismarck, highest master’s degree base

WINS:

(Collected from the 50 contracts received so far. If your local union achieved a victory in negotiations that you don’t see listed below, please send us an email at comments@ndunited.org.)

u Minot gained 2% more on employer TFFR contributions.

u Only one school district went to impasse.

u Jamestown fixed salary inequities and made much-needed adjustments.

u Wahpeton added language to contract to formalize overloads for all.

u Mapleton overhauled salary schedule for sustainability.

u Mandan worked through some early tension to achieve a solid contract and salary raise.

Who Will Be 2024 ND Teacher of the Year?

Four NDU members are finalists for state’s top honor in education

By Kelly Hagen, kelly.hagen@ndunited.org

The North Dakota Teacher of the Year Program has annually recognized the outstanding contributions of certified classroom teachers in the lives of students since 1963.

This year, a total of 146 educators were nominated from 48 counties. Out of those, 83 then applied for a county award. The applications were then reviewed and scored, and County Teachers of the Year were selected from 41 counties. Nominations came from students, family members, teachers and school administrators.

The NDTOY review committee (consisting of a former NDTOY and representative of North Dakota United, as well as representatives from NDCEL, NDCTE, NDDPI, NDSBA and nonpublic schools) reviewed and scored applications. Four finalists were selected for consideration as the 2024 ND Teacher of the Year.

The finalists are:

Andee Mattson, of Rugby, a music teacher at Ely Elementary in Rugby

Sheila Peterson, of Mandan, a physical education teacher at Bismarck’s Wachter Middle School

Trisha Schaefer, of Minot, a sixth-grade math teacher at Minot’s Erik Ramstad Middle School

Megan Wasness, of Devils Lake, an English teacher at Devils Lake’s Central Middle School

The state Teacher of the Year will be announced at a public ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, at Memorial Hall in the state Capitol. Look for more coverage of this year’s recipient and the ceremony on our website, www.ndunited.org, and in the December issue of United Voices.

ANDEE MATTSON, the elementary music teacher and fifth- and sixthgrade mixed choir director at Ely Elementary in Rugby, said that her goals as an educator are to make real-world connections with students and create moments that will resonate with them throughout their lives.

In an effort to connect her students with the community that surrounds them, she regularly plans public performances in front of crowds of supporters. “As a music teacher, community connections are a large part of my job,” Mattson said. “I have seven music programs and two choir concerts each year. In addition to that, my fourth graders always sing the National Anthem at a sporting event to conclude our unit of study on the Star Spangled Banner.”

Additionally, she brings students to participate each fall in the Surround the State in Song honor choir, and she started an in-house elementary music festival that takes place each spring. “This event simulates what a high school music contest will be like,” she said. “I bring in a judge, and students prepare pieces to perform. Parents are invited to attend. Nothing makes me more proud than seeing a fifth grader sing a solo in front of a room full of their peers and adults.”

She said that one of the ways that she hopes to build culture within her classroom is through her adoption of Music In Our Schools Month. “The National Association for Music Education celebrates this every March,” Mattson said. “In my experience, March is the perfect time to shake things up in the classroom. Winter is ending, and spring fever is starting to kick in.

This is why I decided to make Music

In Our Schools Month a monthlong celebration of music and all of the exciting things it has to offer.”

Programs like these help Mattson instill a passion for music within her students at a young age, and she hopes they will hold that note for as long as they can. “One of my goals as an educator is to create life-long musicians,” Mattson said. “I believe experiences like these help create a love for music that will inspire them to carry music with them throughout their lives.”

SHEILA PETERSON, a physical education teacher and coach at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck, teaches her students that, in both sports and life, perspective is always important. Every person on the field, whether they’re playing the game, coaching, managing equipment, keeping statistics, officiating or cheering from the stands, plays an essential role.

“I want students to understand that PE is not about wins and losses but doing good things for your physical and mental health,” Peterson said. “It is essential that students leave understanding why a healthy body is important. It is essential to keep my students wondering what weird thing we are going to do today. I hope by teaching strange games and incorporating weird activities they have never before seen can engage all my students. Multiple modalities in delivery of activities lead to engagement of all students, not just my best athletes.”

Along with teaching physical education at Wachter, she was asked

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to build a new course centered around building life skills. “In May of 2022, my principal approached me about teaching a new class called Peer to Peer,” Peterson said. “This class matches mentors and mentees of different abilities to promote inclusion, acceptance and awareness, leadership skills and, most importantly, make sure every student feels they belong in our building.”

Peterson credits two of her peers in education – Sara Bohrer from Century High School in Bismarck, and Maggie Williams from Mandan Middle School – for their assistance in building the curriculum for their Peer to Peer program. “To be the best, ask the best!” she said. Students applied to be peer mentors in the program, and were selected based on their teacher reference, behavior, grades and character. Case managers nominated student mentees, and parents of the students nominated were asked to invite their children to participate. It was important to Peterson and everyone who helped build the program that students got to know each other as people before learning about differences in ability. “My vision was for all students to experience having a friend, being invited to events, and most importantly, know they have a place to belong,” Peterson said.

After 15 years in music education, with stints in Bullhead City, Ariz., Ryder, Makoti and Plaza, and at Jim Hill Middle School and Bel Air Elementary in Minot, she transitioned into teaching general education.

The common link between successfully teaching music and general subjects is by showing students all that they can accomplish by working together. Building community inside and outside the classroom is the key to unlocking any student’s potential, and Schaefer said she “believes students will excel in a safe, positive, caring environment.”

“In my sixth-grade math classroom, we begin each year by taking a ‘family picture’ and creating family/classroom norms,” Schaefer said. “Students brainstorm what our classroom should look like, sound like and feel like. We create a list of specific norms, and after agreeing on them, create and sign a document that includes both our class picture and class norms. This special document is hung in our classroom and remains in students’ folders to serve as a reminder of the way we do things in our classroom.”

TRISHA

SCHAEFER, who currently teaches sixth-grade math, language arts, science and social studies at Erik Ramstad Middle School in Minot, actually began her career as an educator by teaching music.

Each of her students also has a family structure outside of the classroom, as well, and Schaefer says that getting buy-in from parents is critical to ensuring student success. “I greet students and parents with a warm smile and assure them that I am available to answer questions or address concerns,” she said. “I ensure that students and families are aware of my high expectations from the very beginning. I remind all stakeholders that we’re a team, that we all want our students to succeed and that we’ll work together to do what’s best for each student.”

Schaefer said she believes that “celebrating student success builds confidence and morale.” Similarly, she feels that her educator peers need to be celebrated for the great work they all do, too.

“Last fall, I received the incredible honor of becoming Minot Education Association’s 2022 Teacher of the Year and was given the opportunity to speak at Minot Public Schools’ back-to-school gathering,” Schaefer said. “I was grateful to have the privilege of showing appreciation for my colleagues and encouraging them to continue doing their best for our students.”

MEGAN WASNESS, a seventh- and eighth-grade English teacher at Central Middle School in Devils Lake, believes firmly in her heart that schools need to be inclusive and welcoming environments for students to feel comfortable, safe and supported. “Teachers do not become educators to teach some students,” Wasness said, “They become teachers to teach and impact the lives of all students.”

Wasness says that she is an innovative educator who “incorporates cultural relevance, technology, critical thinking and real-life experiences into her lessons.” Because of this, she feels she is better able to connect with, engage and inspire her students.

For the past two years, Wasness participated in the Devils Lake Leadership Academy through NDSU, and in her last semester of the academy, she conducted a School

Culture Inquiry Action Plan focused on school vibrancy. “A vibrant school is one where creativity, expression and intellectual exploration are encouraged,” she said. “My final action plan was to provide PD for staff on how to introduce controversial topics and allow students to explore them. This was one area that both students and staff rated low for CMS. Many staff steer clear of any controversial topic due to today’s political climate. Teachers are nervous (about) the repercussions of saying the wrong thing, so many squash debatable issues.”

Wasness believes that providing training to her colleagues on how to introduce controversial topics will help staff to feel more comfortable when students ask questions about difficult topics. “Oftentimes, students who don’t feel comfortable or welcomed in the classroom feel unseen or unheard because their gender identity, political beliefs, religion or ethnicity is surrounded by controversy,” Wasness said. “Not talking about the issues in a school-appropriate way only widens that divide for those students.”

If given the chance to speak in front of educators across the state, Wasness said she would love to tell them that their passion and dedication to students is needed now more than ever. “The toughest parts of teaching — decreased engagement/motivation and the increase in behavioral needs — are both the reason why teachers are quitting and the reason why students need quality teachers to educate and guide them. … As teachers continue to leave the profession in staggering numbers, something needs to change.”

By Chad Oban, chad.oban@ndunited.org

Eliminating Property Taxes Not Worth the Risk

Recently, former state Representative and skilled self-promoter Rick Becker was approved to circulate petitions for an initiated measure in 2024, proposing to eliminate property taxes in our state.

Becker and his band of merry salesmen will tell you over the next several months that we can have the same great public schools and quality public services without paying a dime in property taxes. What an incredible deal!

As we all know, that’s not the way the real world works. Nothing good comes for free, we often tell our children. We can’t have public schools and public services (i.e. fire and emergency response, law enforcement, water and waste processing, paved roads, parks and playgrounds, etc.), let alone good ones, without paying for them.

To that, Becker will say, “OH, BUT YOU CAN! Take some Legacy Fund money from here, mix it with some empty promises from over there, add a couple dashes of dreams, and poof, it’ll be fine! Trust us!”

With a little logic, a basic understanding of local control

and the role of governments, and just a brief glance back at our state’s financial history, we’ll see that this is a risk we can’t afford to take. We know that our state’s budget is overly reliant on commodity prices –namely, energy and agriculture. We also know from the recent past that commodity prices are unstable, and that budget writers and appropriators have zero control over a global market that determines those commodity prices. The Legacy Fund, as flush with cash as it is today, is not going to be able to replace the long-term funding source that local property taxes provide for local needs.

Let’s consider the consequences if enough North Dakotans fall for this pitch, sign the petitions, see it on the 2024 ballot, and vote to pass it. In that (dreadful) scenario, every county, city, school, park, ambulance and fire district will need to go groveling to the Legislature to beg for money for local needs. Keep in mind, they’d only be given the opportunity to do so every two years, regardless of the immediacy of the need. So, let’s say Rolla needs a boiler for their school, or has a road taken out by a terrible storm,

or experiences an unanticipated water main break. Those (most likely volunteer) Rolla leaders will just need to tell their community to sit tight and wait (no biggie) until they can go to Bismarck and ask legislators for money to fix it.

Now, imagine that Fargo needs those same exact things. Rolla has three legislators, and Fargo has 27. Who is better positioned to get that funding? Meanwhile, Bismarck also needs a new fire station, three new police officers and six more teachers, just in one of their school buildings. Oh, and so does Bowman. And Park River. And Kenmare. Do you really want the Legislature serving as the county commission, school board, city commission, park board and township board of every jurisdiction in the state?

Just over a decade ago, a similar group brought forward this same idea. In June of 2012, that measure was defeated handily at the ballot box by a 23%-77% vote. Becker also floated the recycled scheme around 2019-20 but sat that year out because we experienced a global pandemic that threw our personal lives and nearly every budget – public or private, household or nationallevel – into utter chaos. (One would think a lesson to be learned there was that maybe a stable, reliable funding source is crucial to maintaining basic services during times of crises, but that clearly wasn’t the takeaway from Becker.)

I was the campaign manager back in 2012 for a coalition of organizations and stakeholders

that successfully stood together and fended off this measure. The coalition that came together was described at the time as the most impressive, most diverse coalition in state history. Organized by the Greater ND Chamber, ND AARP, NDEA, NDPEA, ND Realtors, ND Oil and Coal, ND Rural Electrics and local unions, chambers, co-ops, and groups partnered together and coalesced around one goal – defeating a bad idea. No one in that coalition cared about party affiliation, whether they had previously been on opposing sides of unrelated, past fights. Instead, we focused on what was best for our communities, our kids and our futures.

In order to prevent this terrible idea from taking root, we are asking for your help. If asked, please do not sign the petition! The simplest, cheapest and most effective way to stop this problem is by preventing it from being placed on the ballot for a vote. Educate your friends and family about how devastating this would be for our communities and ask them to not sign the petition, either!

In the coming months, you’ll be hearing a lot more about this issue. At this point, we don’t know if they will collect enough valid signatures, if it will be approved for the ballot, and if so, whether it will appear on the June primary or November general election ballot. What we do know is that we are ready to stand up for our communities, our families, and our kids, and that we need you to join us!

PENSION

Who is affected by the closure of the NDPERS defined-benefit plan?

At the end of the 2023 legislative session, Governor Burgum signed into law HB 1040. The law closes the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS) defined-benefit retirement plan to new hires as of Jan. 1, 2025. This will affect new state employees, city and county employees, and education support professionals in districts across the state. The law will also create significant stress on NDPERS to sustain benefits for current employees as the closed plan will have to take on far less risk by investing conservatively. While supporters of this misguided idea like to suggest it will not impact current employees, the history of other closed defined-benefit plans around the country suggests we need to be vigilant to protect the plan.

Q: Why did the Legislature close the defined-benefit plan?

A: At the end of the day, this was primarily an ideological push by the Legislature. Instead of making the investments to support the NDPERS defined-benefit plan for a cost of approximately $1 billion, the Legislature chose to close an important benefit for employees at a projected cost of $5 billion.

Q: Have other states done this to public employees?

A: Yes. Alaska, Oklahoma, Michigan and West Virginia have closed their defined-benefit plans.

Q: What have the repercussions been in other states that have closed their defined-benefit plans?

A: ■ Alaska closed plans for all public employees, including teachers. They are facing a recruitment and retention crisis, and Alaska citizens are not getting the services they require. There is a major, bipartisan push to re-open the defined-benefit plan and address the crisis.

■ Oklahoma has also passed bipartisan legislation through one chamber of their legislature to re-open their plan for the exact reasons as Alaska.

■ Michigan’s defined-benefit plan has been closed since the late 1990s and is starting to face a serious asset crunch

for employees and retirees who were told they wouldn’t be impacted. Like every other state, there is a major push to re-open the defined-benefit plan.

■ West Virginia closed their definedbenefit plan, but have already re-opened the plan after similar experiences to Alaska, Oklahoma and Michigan.

Q: Could the Teachers Fund for Retirement (TFFR) be next?

A: The short answer is yes, and many legislators are on record asking why we aren’t taking the same steps with TFFR as they have with NDPERS.

Q: What is North Dakota United doing to address this?

A: When NDPERS was first established in 1966, it was largely due to the efforts of a group of state employees who organized as the North Dakota State Employees Association. At its start, the plan was defined contribution, and by 1977, the NDSEA had again organized for change and turned it into the powerful recruitment and retention tool it became as defined benefit. As the saying goes, “We did it before, and we can do it again!” Unified under the banner of North Dakota United, we all must continue to organize community opposition to these changes, educate legislators about the concerns listed above, and advocate for retirement security for all.

By Gary Feist, gary.feist@ndunited.org

Recruiting a Public Workforce

Recruiting and retaining public employees has been difficult for many years, and since the pandemic and with Baby Boomers retiring it has become more difficult in North Dakota and across the country. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Public Employee Program and Policy Council created a task force, which I am co-chairing, to study the issue with a goal of coming up with recommendations to help public employers meet their employee needs and help our fellow union members provide vital public services.

Public employment was a coveted job in the past, but today public service is not a job of choice. One reason cited by many potential employees is the lack of competitive wages and the ability to advance. Public employee wages have failed to keep up with the private sector. In the Jan. 7, 2022, PEW article “Government Wage Growth Lags Private Sector by Largest Margin on Record,” it was noted that nationally public employee wages lagged the private sector, which saw much stronger gains as the economy recovered. The Labor Department data indicated that year-overyear growth rates for hourly private sector jobs now exceed that of state and local government workers by the largest margin on record.

Over many years, salary

appropriations passed by the North Dakota legislature failed to keep up with inflation and the growth in the labor market, resulting in wages on average lagging the market by 12%. The 2023 Legislature took a step forward to close some of the pay gap by appropriating for salary increases of 6% and 4% for the biennium, as well as providing funding for equity adjustments for those employees furthest behind market.

This one salary adjustment will not solve North Dakota’s recruitment and retention problem as money is not the only issue that employees are looking for in a great job, but it will surely help. The AFT task force has looked at issues important to employees including work life balance, flexible schedules, ability to work remotely, and total compensation including benefits. Research shows that a defined benefit pension plan plays a significant factor in enabling states to recruit and retain employees. The NDPERS defined benefit plan will close Dec. 31, 2024, creating another hurdle to overcome in recruiting staff.

The AFT Task Force report will be released on Nov. 17, 2023, at the AFT Public Employee Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

NDU Board of Directors Election

Twelve positions will be up for election on the NDU Board of Directors in April 2024.

The positions open on the NDU Board of Directors are: Northeast, Northwest, Southwest and Southeast Region Directors; K-12 District (less than 600 students) and K-12 District (more than 600 students); Public Employee; Education Support Professional; Higher Education Support Professional; Higher Education (2-year institution), Higher Education (4-year institution); and Ethnic Minority Director. The student and retired positions are elected by their respective groups. All new board members take office July 15, 2024, and the term is for three years.

Petitions for these positions must be filed by Feb. 15, 2024 with 50 signatures from active members in good standing. The student and retired positions are elected by their constituencies. However, all positions will be voted on at the 2024 Delegate Assembly to be held April 20, 2024 at ND’s Gateway to Science, Bismarck. Please contact Ellie Sharbono at ellie.sharbono@ndunited.org to request petitions.

Elections for President, the Vice Presidents of Education and Public Employees, and NEA Director will be held at the Delegate Assembly in 2025.

Election of Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly

State delegate positions are open for the 2024 NEA Representative Assembly (RA), which is currently scheduled for July 3-7 in Philadelphia, PA. North Dakota is allowed 15 delegates, but current Board members are eligible to attend, and those attending will be subtracted from the 15 prior to the election. The number of delegate positions open will be

announced later this fall. Petitions for the state-paid delegate positions can be found at www.ndunited.org. Members running for a delegate position must obtain 50 signatures from active members of NDU. The student and retired positions are elected by their constituencies.

Completed petitions with the 50 signatures, along with a short bio and head shot, must be returned to ND United, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501, by Feb. 15, 2024.

The delegates will also be elected at the NDU Delegate Assembly in April.

Local Association Delegate Elections

Presidents of locals of 76 or more members will receive an email from NEA in late January with the allocated number of delegates for their local for the 2024 NEA Representative Assembly.

Local associations are allocated one delegate for each 150 active and educational support NEA members or major fraction thereof. Locals with fewer than 76 members may cluster to form delegate units.

NDU’s Affirmative Action Plan

NDU’s affirmative action plan commits our union to elect two minority delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly each year.

Ethnic minorities may be nominated for state delegate positions in the same manner as others by submitting a petition signed by 50 active members to ND United, 301 N 4th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501 by Feb. 15, 2024.

Questions? Contact Ellie at ellie.sharbono@ndunited.org.

from NDU members across the state

Nyssa Stroschein

Amanda Borseth

Daphne Davis

Delaney Lakoduk

Jordyn Clapper

Kimberly Burns

Latisha Anne Vennes

Lisa Wolf

All NDU

professional development courses are FREE to North Dakota United members through July 31, 2024. Participants are responsible for the cost of the book and the $50 credit fee to UND to have your credit recorded onto your transcript. The fee to participate in an NDU professional development course for non-members is $100, plus the cost of the book and the credit fee to UND.

NDU Professional Development Opportunities

Early Career Educator Cohort - January 2024:

North Dakota United is continuing to sponsor early career educator cohorts, with one beginning in January 2024. The cohort will last approximately fourteen months 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 relicensure and lane changes, at no cost to the educators. That’s right – FREE!

The six book studies/courses in the Early Career Educator

Book Studies – Fall 2023:

Book studies are typically one credit courses that last approximately six weeks. One credit equates to 15 hours of study. Expectations include

Cohorts are: Poor Students, Rich Teaching: Seven HighImpact Mindsets for Students from Poverty; Hacking School Discipline; Classroom Management Matters; Educator Ethics; Differently Wired, and Troublemakers.

North Dakota United is currently accepting educators for the January 2024 cohort. If you are interested, please contact Professional Development Director Amy Flicek at amy. flicek@ndunited.org.

reading the book, answering discussion questions, responding to others’ responses, and a reflection paper/action plan.

Behavior/Classroom Management

> Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation – November 20

> Take Control of the Noisy Class: Chaos to Calm in 15 Seconds – November 20

Innovation

> Make Learning Magical: Transform Your Teaching and Create Unforgettable Experiences in Your Classroom – November 6

Instruction/Strategies

> Teaching Reading with Orton-Gillingham: 72 Classroom Ready Lessons to Help Struggling Readers and Students with Dyslexia Learn to Love Reading (K-6) –

October 2

> The Science Box: Experiments and Explorations that Drive Student Engagement –

October 9

> The Teacher’s Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance: Essential Strategies for the Classroom –

November 6

> Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills (K-3) –

November 27

> Lead with Literacy: A Pirate Leader’s Guide to Developing a Culture of Readers –

December 4

Native American Culture

> Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask – December 18

Relationships

> Even on Your Worst Day You Can be a Student’s Best Hope –

November 13

Social Emotional Learning

> Taking Social Emotional Learning Worldwide –

December 11

Self-Care/Mindset

> Anxiety: Panicking about Panic: A Powerful, Self-Help Guide to those Suffering from an Anxiety or Panic Disorder –

October 23

> Fish: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results –

October 30

> 7 Steps from Burnout to Happiness: A Modern Approach to a Stress-Free Work Life with Renewed Energy Productivity and Clarity on What Matters Most – December 4

Student Success

> Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning –

October 9

> Teaching the Way: Using the Principles of Art of War to Teach Composition –October 16

> Lost and Found: Unlocking Collaboration and Compassion to Help Our Most Vulnerable, Misunderstood Students (And All the Rest) – November 13

Trauma

> The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog – December 11

> The Body Keeps Score (*2 credit course) – December 18

To register please visit: courses.ndunted.org.

Investment in the Future

The North Dakota United Foundation proudly announces 2023 scholarship and grant recipients

In May, the NDU Foundation announced that 40 North Dakota United members and dependents had been selected to receive more than $60,000 total in scholarships and grants.

Here is the complete list of 2023 NDU Foundation scholarship and grant recipients:

ALEX AZURE, an undergraduate education major at Turtle Mountain Community College, has been awarded a NDU Foundation Ethnic Minority Scholarship.

BROOKLYN BANG, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a Cindy & Gary Rath Education Scholarship.

EMILY CURREN is the recipient of a NDU Member/Dependent Scholarship for her science degree at North Dakota State University.

RUSTY DAN, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a NDU Foundation Ethnic Minority Scholarship.

KADEN DECOTEAU, an undergraduate business major at the University of Mary, has been awarded a NDU Member/ Dependent Scholarship.

LISA DULLUM is the recipient of a Mary Cripps Special Education Scholarship for her graduate degree in special education from Minnesota State University-Moorhead.

HAILEY ENNEY is the recipient of a Cindy & Gary Rath Education Scholarship and a NDU Foundation Ethnic Minority Scholarship for her undergraduate degree in education from Dickinson State University. Enney has also received a Joseph A. Westby Leadership Award to attend the World Peace Games.

PAIGE FETTIG, a fourth grade teacher in Bismarck, is the recipient of a Joseph A. Westby Leadership Award for her graduate program.

KADIN FINDERS, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a NDU Education Scholarship.

LAUREN FRANKENBACH is the recipient of a Ron & Ann Anstrom Scholarship for graduate science degree at the University of West Alabama.

SEINA FREIDIG has been awarded a Joseph A. Westby Leadership Award for her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota.

HANNAH GRESS has been awarded a Horace Mann ND Agents Graduate Education Scholarship for a graduate degree in education from the University of Jamestown.

JESSLYN HALL, an elementary music teacher from Hazen, has been awarded a Halstenson Family Music Scholarship for her graduate program at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

ELLA HOLKESVIG is the recipient of a NDU Education Scholarship for her undergraduate degree in education from Valley City State University.

ABBIGAIL HORNER has been awarded a Bill Oban Special Education Scholarship for her graduate degree in special education from the University of North Dakota.

COURTNEY HOUGLUM has been awarded a Horace Mann ND Agents Graduate Education Scholarship for a graduate degree in science from Clemson University Biological Sciences for Teachers program.

KAYLEE KEMP, a nursing student at the University of Mary, is the recipient of a NDU Member/Dependent Scholarship.

KELSEY KREIDT, an undergraduate studying special education at Minot State University, has been awarded a Bill Oban Special Education Scholarship.

BONNY KROGEDAL is the recipient of a Mary Cripps Special Education Scholarship for her special education degree at Minot State University.

SARA MEDALEN, an elementary school educator in Minot, was awarded a NDU Workplace Innovation Grant for the printing and distribution of her Girl Power groups’ day-inthe-life book of girls in both the United States and Haiti.

LEXI MEYER has been awarded a Bill Oban Special Education Scholarship for her degree in special education from Mayville State University.

ASHER MITCHELL, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a Cindy & Gary Rath Education Scholarship.

LINDSEY MONSON is the recipient of a Joseph A. Westby Leadership Award for her graduate studies in the Teaching & Leadership program at the University of North Dakota.

MAX MUELLER, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a Cindy & Gary Rath Education Scholarship.

WILL NELSON is the recipient of a NDU Member/Dependent Scholarship for his studies in Government and Public Policy at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

KAYLEE OBRIGEWITCH, an undergraduate education major at Dickinson State University, has been awarded a Les Snavely Memorial Education Scholarship.

KAYEDENN RIVINIUS, an undergraduate studying mechanical engineering at the North Dakota State University, has been awarded a NDU Member/Dependent Scholarship.

TYLLA ROSHAU, an undergraduate education major at the University of Mary, has been awarded a NDU Education Scholarship.

CHRISTIANNA SCHMIDT has been awarded a NDU Member/ Dependent Scholarship for an undergraduate degree in strategic communications from North Dakota State University.

VERONICA SCHWARTZENBERGER has been awarded a Horace Mann ND Agents Graduate Education Scholarship for her graduate degree in education from the University of Mary.

BRENDA SEEHAFER has been awarded a Howard Loftesnes Memorial Education Scholarship for her reading literacy specialist degree from the University of North Dakota and Minot State University.

AMY SHOBE, MICHELLE BECHTOLD and JACKIE GLASER, elementary school educators in Dickinson, were awarded a NDU Workplace Innovation Grant for helping their students gain confidence in their phonemic awareness and decoding skills through Word Mapping magnetic tiles.

CASIA STEINHAUS has been awarded a NDU Member/ Dependent Scholarship for her undergraduate degree in science from the University of North Dakota.

SKYLAR UGLEM, an undergraduate psychology/premed major at North Dakota State University, has been awarded the NDU Member/ Dependent Scholarship.

KAITLIN WALKER has been awarded a Ron & Ann Anstrom Scholarship and a Horace Mann ND Agents Graduate Education Scholarship for her graduate degree in education from Western Governors University.

BAILEY WALTERS has been awarded a Bill Oban Special Education Scholarship for her graduate degree in special education from the University of North Dakota.

LEAH WHEELING, a middle school educator in Bismarck, was awarded a NDU Workplace Innovation Grant for at-home family game night activity kits.

EMILY WICKTOR, a member at Valley City State University, was awarded a NDU Workplace Innovation Grant for a series of three film viewing and talk balk events at VCSU to address the teacher shortage in North Dakota.

ELIZABETH WIDMER has been awarded the NDU Member/ Dependent Scholarship for her undergraduate degree in nursing from Dickinson State University.

ALISHA WOHL has been awarded a Halstenson Family Music Scholarship for her graduate music program at Northern State University.

Applications for the NDU Foundation’s scholarships and grants, each specifically designed for NDU members and their dependents, will be available starting December 1.

For more information about each of these programs, due dates, and how to apply please visit ndunited.org.

Having trouble understanding your state retirement benefits?

You’re not alone!

Long-time corporate supporter, Horace Mann, is here to help. Horace Mann representatives have extensive knowledge of the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System and the North Dakota Teachers’ Fund for Retirement. With this knowledge, they can help give you a big picture view of how state retirement benefits and supplemental retirement plans can work together.

Many experts say you’ll need about 80% of your pre-retirement income to maintain your standard of living when you stop working. While most educators receive a pension, it may not completely replace your pre-retirement income. Your local Horace Mann representative can help you find ways to fill any financial gaps.

Click or scan the QR code to find your local Horace Mann representative today!

Horace Mann does not represent state teachers’ retirement systems and is not affiliated with or sponsored by state teachers’ retirement systems. Horace Mann provides publicly available information in its state teachers’ retirement system workshops, and the content of the workshops has not been endorsed or approved by any state teachers’ retirement system.

Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to familiarize association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. Contact association.relations@horacemann.com for more information.

AM-C04752 (July 23)

horacemann.com

North Dakota United

301 N 4th St

Bismarck, ND 58501-4020