School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler Archives

Early work underway to establish public charter schools in North Dakota

August 25, 2025

KVRR Staff,

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota won’t see any charter schools open this year, but state education officials are busy behind the scenes laying the groundwork for next year. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2241 during the 2025 session that authorized public charter schools in North Dakota, leaving South Dakota, Nebraska and Vermont as the only states without a…

ND after-school providers, school districts in ‘limbo’ due to frozen federal grants

July 10, 2025

kvrr-apiuser,

Boys learn to dance to hip-hop during summer programming conducted by the Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley at Ed Clapp Elementary School on July 8, 2025. (Contributed/Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley)North Dakota (North Dakota Monitor/KVRR) –Frozen federal grants are putting North Dakota after-school programs in limbo, pausing teacher training and leaving schools…

ND United members seek state to do more to slow spread of COVID-19

In a poll of 756 teachers and education support staff conducted in October, 67% say Governor Doug Burgum has not gone far enough in trying to slow the spread.

November 12, 2020

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FARGO, N.D. — North Dakota United has conducted three polls since July to hear from K-12 teachers and education support staff on what concerns they are facing during this unprecedented school year. The most recent survey suggests these educators are growing more fearful of the coronavirus and are asking for more to be done to help slow the spread. There…

Interim State Health Officer Resigns As COVID-19 Numbers Keep Rising

It all comes as some schools welcome kids back this week for the first time since March 13th

August 19, 2020

TJ Nelson,

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says the COVID-19 trend is not going in the right direction. The state adds two more deaths and another 188 positive cases. He also announced the resignation of Dr. Andrew Stahl, the interim State Health Officer. Stahl is returning to private practice in Bismarck. It all comes as some schools welcome kids…

Minot Reading & Math Interventionist Named Teacher of the Year for 2020

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler and Governor Doug Burgum made the announcement

September 30, 2019

TJ Nelson,

BISMARCK, N.D. — Minot elementary school teacher Sara Medalen is North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year for 2020. State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler and Governor Doug Burgum made the announcement. Medalen is a reading and math interventionist at Sunnyside Elementary in Minot. She also started programs to encourage reading, leadership development, and physical fitness. Baesler and Burgum will be hosting…